The Traveling Vet Girl

The following post is the story of my best holiday ever for entry into Yellow Zebra Safaris Tanzania competition.  Enjoy! 

“Wanna go drink wine along the Seine River?” my AirBNB host casually asked.  I had just dropped my bags and was sweating profusely in the unusual heat wave that had descended upon the city.  A few hours earlier, I had quite literally jumped on my bus as it was making a left-hand turn out of the station, narrowly avoiding derailing my entire itinerary.  A week earlier, I was frantically packing my bags for a trip my parents were still hoping I’d just forget about, and that I was missing my veterinary school graduation for (it’s just a ceremony, Mom!).  I was in a new city and didn’t speak a word of French, and I wasn’t even sure I should be out that late at night.  But then I realized something – I don’t HAVE to be anywhere tomorrow, or the next 6 weeks for that matter.  After 8 years of school, I was completely free.  I could do anything!  And a glass of rosé in France sounded magical.  “Sure!”  I said.

So we made our way to the banks of the river among the throngs of other people out enjoying the sultry summer evening.  As I watched the lights of the Notre Dame sparkle on the river and listened to street performers play music, I wanted to pinch myself!  “Am I really here??” It was a surreal start to the best trip ever.

For years, I had one goal in mind – become a veterinarian!  I worked tirelessly and luckily found myself accepted into veterinary school.  Fast forward through the most difficult four years of my life, and I was on the precipice of real adulthood.  However, an inkling to travel had begun in back of my mind and it only grew stronger in my last year of school.  I knew going into the world of 9-5’s would be stifling after years of intense study, so I planned my summer of freedom.  6 weeks gallivanting around Europe was the fresh start I needed to recover from veterinary school.  No one believed I would actually go, and that only made me more firm in my plans.  One week after classes finished, not even waiting for the graduation ceremony, I got on a plane to Europe.

Walks in Montmarte, bike riding in Amsterdam, sunbathing in Vienna.  Goulash in Prague, a stein in Munich, pierogi in Krakow.  Samba music in an abandoned warehouse in Dresden, an Afghani rap concert in Paris, dancing to country music in Brussels.  A rainstorm under the Eiffel Tower, falling and scraping my knee on cobblestone near the Seine, and chatting with new friends in Berlin.   These were the things that filled the long sunny days of that summer.  Each day I followed my heart’s desire, and the memories now are a lovely blur of long walks, beautiful old sites, hours of people watching and warm starry nights by myself exploring new cities.

I credit that trip to empowering me as a woman to travel alone, safely, and with confidence.  That summer of complete freedom, independence, and hunger for new culture was so unique and truly the best trip ever.  The experience also created in me a desire to see even more of this world.  Despite starting my long-awaited career (which I love!), I knew I wanted to continue to make travel a priority.

Visiting Tanzania with Yellow Zebra Safaris would be a whole new adventure.  Gone are the metros, Starbucks, and wi-fi on every street corner.  And what’s left?  The utter vastness of the Serengeti, the wild animals who’ve claimed the land for ages, and the local community who call this place home.  I can think of no better thing than to lose myself in a wild beautiful country and embrace a new culture.  As a veterinarian and animal advocate, seeing such magnificent creatures in their natural habitat would be a serendipitous experience, and allow me to promote their conservation to my audience.  Although I’ve been to South Africa before with a veterinary group, each part of Africa is so unique and different that no corner should be left unturned.  Tanzania, in short, would be a once in a lifetime dream come true.