Alas, I will try again here by highlighting a few of the more epic moments of the trip.
1. Seeing my first elephant
I should probably mention that it wasn't just one elephant either, it was a small family, which included a BABY ELEPHANT. Need I say more? It's a good thing our guide warned us about the ferocity of these animals as I was about two seconds from hopping out of the safari truck and giving Dumbo a hug.
It did dishearten me a little to learn that these creatures aren't as lovable as they seem in cute Pinterest pictures and in Disney movies. But that's Africa for you. Throughout the safari we saw just about every carnivorous and ferocious animal you can think of, but no other animal made our veteran safari guide as nervous as the elephant did.
2. Victoria Falls via helicopter
We were lucky enough to get a view of the falls from a helicopter. Let me just mention that this was also my first time in a helicopter-- an epic experience on its own. We lifted off from our hotel in Zambia. With Zambia to our left and Zimbabwe to our right we cruised down the Zambezi River until we saw Victoria Falls. It was pretty easy to spot, as the mist is so immense it rises above the falls and creates a perfect rainbow. Definitely Instagram worthy.
After the helicopter expedition we also checked out the falls by foot. While we got a little wet (the mist was unbelievably powerful) it was definitely nice to see the falls up close.
3. Exploring the winelands of South Africa
We were only in Cape Town for three days, and we spent one of these days venturing outside the city to see the South African winelands. We went on tours of three wineries (all included wine tasting... maybe that's why we enjoyed it so much?) and had lunch overlooking picturesque vineyards.
I had a quick love affair with Stellenbosch to the point that I was seriously considering studying abroad at University of Stellenbosch. A college town in wineland country? Count me in.
But sadly when I returned home and had to actually make the big decision, my wanderlust and desire to see new places won. Sorry Stellenbosch. But I promise I'll be back soon.
4. Swimming in the Devil's Pool
Nope.
It was just a conveniently placed rocky indent in the side of the waterfall where the current was slightly weaker than you'd expect. Those heart palpitations from the elephant sighting came back in full force when we got to the edge. The water was absolutely freezing, but we hardly noticed as we were preoccupied making sure we didn't get swept over the edge.
Part of the point of swimming in the Devil's pool is so you can get cool pictures like these:
Shout out to our guide, Kelvin, for not letting us die.
5. Sunsets on sunsets
But all of those moment pale in comparison to how much I enjoyed hanging out with my family and witnessing 21 impeccable sunsets. Due to our ridiculously busy schedule we even got the luxury of seeing some pretty cool sunrises as well. It was always nice to relax at the end of the day and share a beautiful moment with the people I love most.