Looking for the “good” in “goodbye”

How do you take in that one last look around the glory of the African savannah? How do you breathe in that one last wild wind? How do you peer into the eyes of a devilish monkey one last time? How do you put a finite count on the spots of a giraffe or the stripes of a zebra?

I’ve realized there really is very little good in a goodbye, but there is a lot in the fond memories to take back. In the hopes that my friendships and life lessons I have acquired here shall not disappear, I bid adieu to everyone and everything on Lewa. I wish it were a temporary adieu as much as I hope I leave behind a positive effect in all that I could do in the little time I was here.

Lewa sees many students, researchers, and tourists come and go – each one I presume to feel the same as I do now as I prepare to leave. The people and animals at Lewa are as impacting as the brutal sounds of the lions at night roaring over their feast; an unforgettable and very welcome break of a sweet dream. I was glad I never got used to the grunts of the lions and screams of the other nocturnal animals as each time was just as exciting as the previous one. For Lewa, for Kenya, for Africa, I hope the feelings associated with my experiences here resonate as loudly as a thunderstorm during a midsummer’s night until I am able to return as quickly as my time has passed.

I return to Toronto for 10 days, and head out to Beijing and other destinations in China for several weeks as an Expedition Leader for panda bear trips with Natural Habitat Adventures. Until then, I will collect my thoughts, questions and answers, and dreams….I shall write again soon.