Hakuna Matata

I've been brushing up on my Swahili. Jambo and Asante (Hello and Thank You) will be useful. Hakuna Matata really does mean, "no worries", and really is a colloquialism, not just a Disney creation. I mention this to you because I am about to embark on the trip of a lifetime. For as long as my swelling heart could beat I have dreamed of this trip. Africa. Specifically, Kenya. The country has always beckoned to me. I can't even explain why. The landscapes and animals are beautiful. The culture is intriguing; and the people are so warm - for the last month or so I have been telling every Kenyan I meet (which is a lot in my line of work!) about my planned adventure and each one has been so genuinely proud of their country and excited for my journey. The history and the story-telling are both meaningful, but I'm not even sure any of these things are what have drawn me to the continent. It's something deeper. Something inside me. A need to go. And so, next week, I set off. With a backpack, a camera, a journal and an armful of vaccines, I'm ready.

mug shot

entry visa

After several L O N G flights, we will arrive in Nairobi...


How I will spend 12 Days in Kenya


The first three days will be spent in Nairobi where we will visit an elephant orphanage and learn how orphaned elephants are cared for and raised until they can be released back into the wild. Stay tuned for pics of me hugging said baby elephants. We will also visit a giraffe sanctuary and several museums and restaurants.


Then it's off on Safari. First stop:  Samburu National Park, a spectacular sixty square mile reserve home to crocodiles, zebra and giraffe. There we will stay in raised tents and sleep under the stars at a lodge built in a national park, right near a watering hole. Unlike the majority of Kenya's flat terrain, Samburu features hills leading to the lush forested ravine of the Ewaso Nyiro River. It is along these riverbanks, that the majority of game gather for the promise of water. We will meet a local Samburu naturalist to learn about the beliefs and traditions of his tribe living in the northern foothills of Mount Kenya.



Glamping in Samburu

 Next we travel to one of Kenya's iconic game lodges, The Ark; located in the Aberdares mountain range and featuring a watering hole with a 24 hour observation deck to watch the local elephants.

The Ark


On day 7 we depart for Lake Nakuru National Park best known for its flamingos, Lake Nakuru is also home to rhino and the elusive leopard.



Great Rift Valley Lodge in Lake Nakuru

The Part of the trip I am most excited about starts on Day 8: The Maasai Mara. The Mara (as the locals call it) is home to the Great Migration (as seen in David Attenborough's amazing Planet Earth). This stop will be the highlight of the journey, I am sure. The Mara is home to the Big Five (lions, elephants, buffalo, rhinos and leopards) and is also called home by the famous Maasai Warriors. We will even get to visit a Maasai village. i can't wait to talk to some of the local women about their ways of life, and of course, the crafter in me can't wait to see the beautiful handcrafted blankets the Maasai are known for :)

tented camp at Maasai Mara

So, Dear Readers, please forgive the lack of shop updates over the next few weeks. I promise to come home renewed and excited and ready to create. I am already excited to see you all at the Herilooms show June 14th and 15th and can't wait to see what else the summer will bring. Mary, please forgive me for not being here to meet the newest family member, I promise extra love and attention and diaper changes when I return.

I also promise to post pictures as soon as I am  home, and recovered from my jet lag. My heart feels so anxious, but as the saying goes, Hakuna Matata, H xo