"I could feel the heartbeat of Africa pulsate through the soles of my feet."
-Peter Matthiessen "The Tree Where Man Was Born."
Late in the summer of 2006, my friend Aaron Teasdale and some other writers, photographers and editor Mike England of "Outside Bozeman Magazine" were heading to Tanzania for two and half weeks in mid September. The first week would be touring around on wildlife safaris and the other week would either be biking with Aaron and a few others through the African bush or climb Kilimanjaro with the rest of the group. Ever since Aaron told me about this trip I was super jealous and envious, I wanted to be invited. Months passed by and about two and half weeks before the trip Aaron gives me a call and invites me along. When he asked me to go along, I told him that I probably wouldn't be able to go along; due to getting off work on such short notice.
Later that weekend, I was talking with my parents and casually mentioned that I was invited to go to Africa. My mother responded by saying, "That sounds like a chance in a lifetime." My father responds, "So, you're going right?" Not until my parents said these two sentences did I realize my future was in the fate of this choice I had to make.
The following Monday I went and asked my boss for a few weeks off and why. He gave me permission. That same day I went into town to the post office and had a passport expedited, which showed up a few days before I was scheduled to depart.
Plans were in motion and I was going to Tanzania, Africa.
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