I’m going!  I will be on that plane in a few weeks and crossing several countries off my bucket list!  Even better a good friend is coming with me, and since it’s always been his dream, that will make this even more special.  Everything is planned, booked, and paid for — so it’s happening!  As I sit in my hotel tonight in Hanover, PA, reading over the itinerary, I am so thrilled I can barely sleep.  The culmination of researching, dreaming, and planning — it’s unimaginable to think that it’s actually going to happen.  

We’ll meet in Frankfurt and then fly to Nairobi, Kenya.  After a couple days in Nairobi, we’ll fly to Maasia Mara for a several night stay at an all-inclusive safari lodge.  Then, after a flight, ground transfer, border crossing into Tanzania, and another flight, we’ll arrive in the Serengeti for a couple nights.  From there we’ll travel to the Ngorongoro Crater via land to spend a few nights.  We’ll fly to Zanzibar and spend the reminder of our trip there – soaking in the sun & sand – a well-deserved rest before our long journey home.  

Oh my!  The packing!  One can’t just hop on a plane without the proper gear and careful planning on what to pack.  I figured I had most everything I needed and yikes…I was wrong.  For starters, I can’t take my beloved hard-sided luggage from Away.  Not allowed on the small planes and with 7 flights, that’s a no-go.  Plus, we’re limited to 33 pounds of luggage TOTAL.  My chronic over-packing cannot come on this safari trip.  After many days of research, I chose a wheeled duffel bag and a very fancy backpack.  That backpack is more than I spend on my handbags, which BTW are always purchased on sale.  I cringed as I clicked the “buy now” button… but once it arrives it will feel more real.  For now, I’ve got my list of must-haves on this trip and I’ll stick to not dragging the kitchen sink with me.