I am going to be honest and say that I am really nerding out about the termites for some reason, and I VERY much hope to see their high mounds and the plants which grow well with them. They are just super cool if I can use that word, and I hope to see them often! Other things from the readings which greatly captured my imagination were the activity of dung beetles, huge taproots (though I imagine I will NOT see those), and also megafauna just hangin out – in the open. Being an outdoorsman because of boy scouts I am used to camping and hiking, but I never saw anything larger or more uncommon than a deer. The most interesting thing may have been a vinegaroon or roadrunner, but the idea of the abundance of such large ungulates and mega herbivores and carnivores is beyond striking – it is foreign! And yeah, I think it’s safe to say that the prospect of seeing a chubby, tusked, hippo which has pink sweat might be just a little more exciting than seeing a vinegaroon.
Also, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy the “old man vibes” of researching places you intend to travel. I actually tried it last when traveling to Ireland, and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, reading two books is definitely an entirely different ball game to say the least. However, I have found that this behavior fosters an ability to better enjoy, understand, and engage with the environment we travel into. And since we are going on an adventure, that seems the perfect time to beef up our abilities to do those very things!
Adventure itself is an exciting word, a sort of enigma because it is what you make of it. We haven’t had our trip just yet, but regardless I am very aware that it will be something so entirely spectacular that I will have to carry it with me for the rest of my days.
Africa? More like awesome! Tanzania? No, more like can’t wait to see ya (that was bad). Anyways, I can’t wait, this plane ride will suck but I will watch a lot of movies, and I can’t wait to make new friends, new discoveries, and new memories to last a lifetime.
Godspeed
Kamden