Maire from New York

Aug/Sept - Botswana

Since my return from Botswana in June of 2007, I have pondered tirelessly the singular impact that "Journey" has had upon my life while at the same time fighting and floundering in search of the words that would accurately describe the enormity of the experience. It is so much more than a return to ones "wild side". It is Intense. It is Raw. It is Intimate. It is the Opportunity to immerse oneself in the most elemental relationship you can have with "Life Itself". It is that Basic. It is that Poetic. It is one pure moment layered upon the next pure moment. It is being "Completely Alive". It is reaching out and capturing the most magnificent moments of your whole life!!!

How does this reality take you over? It just happens rather like walking through a door. And the key without your ever being aware is that guy sitting behind the steering wheel of the Land Rover. He calls himself your "guide", but he is so much more. He is an entirely "Natural Man" who encourages, teaches, and coaxes us through a relationship of complete trust to feel the difference that comes with feeling vulnerable in respect of the wildlife rather than feeling afraid. By doing so, the door and the "Connection" opens wide, and devoid of fear you find there is nothing left to get in the way of this entirely intimate experience. There is nothing to keep you from engaging intimately with the Animals, with the Land, and with the Landscape and Open Spaces. It feels like having surfaced after being immersed in Clarity and Light. You have Eyes that See, you have a Nose that Smells, & You have Ears that Hear, as never before! You are entirely connected! You are filled to the top of yourself! You open wide your arms and embrace this singular "Oneness with All Things" with a sense of Completion enough for any one Lifetime!!!