It Was Magical
A short part one recap of my group trip to Zimbabwe & Botswana
To say that pushing the limits was what I did in Africa would be the understatement of the decade. It’s been no secret to anyone that has been around for a while that I suffer from horrible anxiety. I really have since I was in middle school. As I’ve grown and used the tools of therapy and whatnot I’ve been able to control it. Fuck if COVID didn’t really beat that down though.
I think we all experienced a little bit of that during COVID though, right? You did too huh? We all aren’t alone. In fact almost 1/3 Americans will suffer from anxiety at some point in their lives. Wooo for being a part of that club!
Using my platform to connect one-on-one with my community through these adventures has literally changed my life in some of the biggest ways that no one would ever realize. The impact the friendships have had on me. Hell, even on my children. “Followers” who in the end really became my chosen family. Enough of me being sappy as fuck though. Ew. Right? LOL!
Just kidding (I love each and every one of my traveller family I am sending you the biggest, warmest Oz hug!!!)
Our first hotel was absolutely adorbs too!
I fell in love with this place. The staff was amazing too. I was so happy knowing this is where we would spend our last night of our adventure as well! The official first night of the trip is a group dinner and for this adventure that took place on a boat. It was a lovely cruise up the Zambezi River where we got to see all kinds of wildlife along the way.
After dinner was finished, the staff of the ship came out and sang to us as a welcome and thank you. The experience was amazing as a whole. What people don’t realize about the culture of Zimbabwe is every person you come across is so warm and welcoming. They are genuinely lovely, kind people. Honestly, it was so refreshing. America could take so many pointers!
I cannot tell you how proud I am of this group. Out of all of my travel groups thus far they were also my smallest group yet! On day one of our adventure every single person came on this activity which was A LOT for some.
This hike spanned about two miles and everyone completed it with zero broken anything. I mean, it was even a lot for me!
The second picture is the watering hole (well), where the young men traditionally go looking for a wife. The daughters and women in the villages are charged with going to the well so they can bring back water for their family or village in general.
That gorge itself was wild to see up close. The fact that everyone killed it hiking out to these spots and everyone did it… a first.
Taking me completely out of my own comfort zone for sure. At the end of the hike our big open air Jeep picked us up and brought us down a long dirt road to the village of a Traditional Healer. This entire experience was so insanely special to me. I made quite a few Tik Tok videos about it, so I am going to include some of them here.
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It was just such a cool, cultural, and almost magical moment in time. All of that only wraps up like half of a day. HA!
I am going to skip over a bunch of stuff to talk about the one thing that really pushed me as a human. It was one of the activities listed on the itinerary and was like… oh yeah everyone else can have fun with all that. I won’t be participating in any of that.
Until the day came, and everyone was getting ready.
One-by-one each traveler opted out of the activity. Leaving 4 of them. Even Tina had forgot her bathing suit for the day so she wouldn’t even be able to get in the water… I couldn’t not do it. Right? It’s my trip! I have to.
Hell, it my own mind I bullied myself into it. Or maybe I just ignored my anxiety which was being masked by a 0.5mg Xanax at that point.
I could not travel all the way across the planet, to Victoria Falls and not swim in the Devil’s Pool? I swim in the Atlantic on the regular… it can’t be that much different. Until they ask if you can swim because it is literally 3 meters deep and there is NO BOTTOM.
Excuse me, that is not a pool. If there is no BOTTOM… remove POOL. LOL
Not only that, but there are also live fish in there with you that you very much will feel nibbling on your legs. This… all of these details they don’t tell you until you are basically IN the water on your way out to the pool.
Talk about a group of rock stars! OMG GUYS!
I seriously still cannot believe that we did any of that. When I say that my community that was built from doing the news on the internet has helped me to the point where I can literally do anything.
There is nothing I can’t accomplish in the world and these amazing humans have given me that gift. That comfort. That growth as a human. A world of difference inside the chaos I call a brain.
Shout out to Michael Franti & Spearhead (my Stay Human hat) as well!
If I can get to a point with my anxiety that I can actually accomplish this, I promise you there is so much hope out there. You can literally do ANYTHING in this world.
Fuck anxiety.
I love you all!
Thanks for reading this deeply personal one.
For more information on traveling with me please click here.
I MUST do a trip with you!
Looks like a great time!!