Sunrise Game Drive-Day 1 Kruger 5:00 AM 

“Do you have time to….just be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world?” Mary Oliver

For the lioness and her cub 

For the giraffe and her baby 

For the elephant chasing his mama’s tail

To watch the sunrise over Southern Africa?

This morning, our driver Peter warned us that we may not see what we wanted. We would only see what the bush would give us. And this morning, the bush was incredibly generous. 

There were so many moments on our first game drive that stole our breaths from our lungs. We held on to each other, eyes big, looking at each other. Asking “is this real?” It was real. This morning we entered their territory. We breathed their air. You could feel the rumble of the mama lion in your chest as she chided her too playful cub.  

Many of us were shocked to find that we weren’t incredibly disgusted to watch a pack of wild dogs consume an impala in under 5 minutes. 

We squealed as an elephant family walked toward us, the tiniest baby chasing mama’s tail, and catching it. Some of us even got chastised for leaning too far outside the vehicle (even teachers forget the rules, sometimes). 

Several giraffes surprised us, seemingly out of nowhere, their majesty overtaking us. We celebrated small rhino families, that are slowly taking what has been stolen from them. 

We were so alive this morning. Together, in one place, in a broken world. Taking time to just be…16 strangers holding hands and sharing a once in a lifetime experience. Falling in love with South Africa and Kruger. 

Jane Goodall said “there is a timeless quality to the African wilderness, a sense of peace and belonging that I haven’t found anywhere else in the world.” 

It was peaceful to let the world steal our breath in a good way, for a moment. When was the last time you stopped and watched and waited and let life tell you what you needed? When you took only what was given and didn’t ask for more or what was next? 

Take a chance and be open. You may find exactly you need, even if you thought it wasn’t what you wanted.