My guest post and Africa images on the We Keep Exploring blog:
My dear friend Andrew and I decided to do a 6 week adventure in South Africa, Tanzania, and Zanzibar because he quit his job this year and launched his own company. We wanted to do some things we have never done before, such as summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, one of the seven summits and the highest mountain in Africa. I was on a personal long time mission to see Great White sharks breach in South Africa, which I missed on my previous two trips to Cape Town. Just over five years ago, I also quit my full time job, hit the reset button, and hopped on a plane bound for South Africa.
For the past five years, traveling and exploration has been much of an independent pursuit, as I am often sent out on assignments on my own or other people just don’t have the flexibility to join me. A huge challenge with being away on the road so much is that I can sometimes feel disconnected from my community and friends. Building community, exploring, and creating are some of my core values, and to be able to share all of those things together at the same time with a good friend is quite meaningful and memorable. And at times it was beautiful and transcendent, especially at the top of Africa at nearly 20,000 ft above sea level, and when we took a boat out to surf the outer reefs of Zanzibar.
Lately, I’ve had this grand vision of building community through travel, exploration, and creating art, and I’m reminded of the following quote by Christopher McCandless, “Happiness only real when shared.”
There is beauty everywhere worth pursuing and exploring, even in the places that we least expect it. Get out there and find it. Be fearless. Be wild. Be free.
All My Best,
Reuben