Ok, so as promised, more on Liz the person rather than Liz the vet. As my friends will tell you, I am particularly obsessed with Africa. My dad grew up in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and we still have friends and relatives out there, so I’ve grown up hearing about Africa a lot. So on my gap year I used the first opportunity to jump on a plane to Kenya, where I spent three months on a volunteer project. I can honestly say it was the most amazing experience of my life, and I fell head over heels in love with it. Everything from the sun-baked savannahs to the clear blue reefs of the Indian Ocean. I don’t quite know how to put it into words. There is just something about it – the red soil, the people, the space, the light, the sounds. Everything. And of course, the stunning wildlife. I love this quotation from Richard Leakey, describing a flight from Nairobi to the Rift Valley:
“Sometimes it is so beautiful that I feel I’d like to park the plane on a cloud and just watch it for a while.”
I am of course, itching to get back there. Sadly it’s just not possible at the moment, but at least I have welcoming relatives and friends throughout southern and eastern Africa for when the time comes for me to return! I looked at going back to Kenya on completion of my zoology degree, and in fact had a couple of exciting opportunities to get involved with the wildlife out there, but Veterinary Medicine was calling – this doesn’t mean however, that I’ve given up on the plan to return! In fact, quite the opposite.
For the moment however, it’s back to the chemistry lab, where I can be found daydreaming about it all and regaling my peers with stories of ‘when I was in Africa’. Whatever it is, it well and truly got in my blood, and I still think about it every day, even though it was a few years ago now. Although I don’t miss certain aspects, such as finding bugs the size of fists hiding in your underwear!
Oh dear, I’ve gone all nostalgic. But there you have it. A little glimpse into the world of my day (and night!) dreams. Kwa heri sasa.
