"Mom, are we ready yet?" It was delightful to hear that my mom and I could go on an African Safari. For real! To Africa! I've always wanted to go to those great outdoors.

It took a lot of training to get prepared for the Safari, and I had to be a splendid listener; which I hate the most. I'm a girl who just likes to fiddle with stuff and look around for an adventure. Three words about my training camp: It was frustrating. And now five good words: But it was worth it.

I would suffer anything to just go on a Safari. I'm kind of like an outdoorsy, adventure-loving girl. The designer of the training camp should name it "Camp Disaster Work" instead of "Camp Pitch". But the coach, Mr. Bushybrows, says it's very important to defend yourselves against danger. Sheesh!

To get ready, I bought a pair of binoculars, a constellation and star map, tree climbing equipment, and enough clothes for one week. My homework that night was to research and write a report on a specific landform and, of course, I did the Savannahs. I had read a ton on this topic and was good to go.

At last, it was the start of our journey! After a long 16-hour flight, I was bored to death but still excited. When my mom, two other camping friends, and I were driving to our camp spot in an old but trustable rainforest green jeep, I was squirming with excitement. I couldn't wait.

After many twists and turns, we finally reached our destination. In spite of many bumpy roads and sharp turns, I seemed okay though I had butterflies in my stomach. Of course, this was the day that I had been waiting for the past two months. We were kind of early and waited for other folks. The climate was humid with thick muggy air, so we got on our “Camp Pitch” stamped shorts and half-sleeve shirts.

We learned many facts such as the giraffe has the most powerful kick of all the animals, lions are on top of the food chain in Africa, the black mamba - one of the fastest snakes in the world, can slither up to 7 miles an hour, etc. I saw a pride of lions avoiding the afternoon sun by lazily lying under the shade of a tree. That reminded me of all the tales I have heard of the ferocious King of the Jungle. I shivered at that thought! We stopped to take a few quick snaps and the lions didn’t seem to mind. When I saw how calm these ‘ferocious’ beasts looked, I wondered if all the tales I had heard were indeed true.

Then we saw a sly fox and that again made me recall the stories about how cunning this animal was. We watched playful monkeys swinging through high branches. We heard a not-so-happy-looking wolf, howling to its heart's content in the distance. The scorching sun blazed with full strength on us, reflecting on a nearby cool stream. I felt like I had just taken a shower in sweat. Really, I'm not kidding, it was THAT hot! That was until we saw the glorious sight of the setting sun!

At nights, I ate a mouth-watering meal of steak, baked potatoes, and green beans, followed by fresh fruit salad with papayas, pineapple, and a few tropical fruits I’ve never seen before. Some nights we had hot rolls and butter, and almost every night mango jelly for dessert. Delicious!!!!

When we returned, I felt tired but proud. I was most thankful to my mom for taking me on this amazing trip! When I came back home, I brought a souvenir with me: a small newspaper printed in Swahili.

But my greatest thrill of all was the researches on Africa's life, food, wildlife, and people. Many historical figures, like African tribal chiefs, once roamed the land I walked on, which was hard to believe. The memory of this trip continues to bring me immense joy. 

P.S: My dear readers,

I want you to know that I have never actually set foot in Africa. This story just came from my imagination. I have heard that Africa is a beautiful continent, an explorer’s paradise. Who knows, one day my adventurous spirit will really take me there and then this may be how my travelogue would look like!!!