Sarah I cherishing her mom's visit to South Africa

3.18.17

Having my mom here for the past week was amazing.  Being such an important part of my life, it’s been really difficult not being able to see my family as often as I do at home.  That being said, I think I’ve learned a lot about myself being here on my own, which became even more apparent with my mom’s visit.  For I’m typically the type of person who plans the day at the last minute, who has no confidence in my abilities, and often questions whether or not I’d be able to survive as an actual adult; but, I’ve come to realize that I’m actually capable of taking care of myself, of doing things I’ve never dreamed of.  Becoming my own person, detaching myself from the security of my family, the interactions I had with my mom were different – one that allowed us to speak more as friends than always having to communicate in the mother-daughter dynamic.  Our time here together is something I will always cherish.

Our first adventure on the 2-day Garden Route tour was I think one of the main highlights for both of us.  We were able to interact with so many incredible animals! From the cheetah and lemur encounters at the Cango Wildlife Ranch, to the amazing and humane Walk with Elephants at the Indalu Game Reservation, to the petting of a Zebra family protected by a kind-hearted farmer and to the bottle-feeding of young giraffes, we got the full-exclusive experience with such magnificent creatures.  Both being animal lovers, it was definitely a dream come true – especially for my mom who used to want to be a zoologist, working with the big cats.