WANDERLIST | Travel Lust

Growing up, the most important thing I knew I wanted to do with my life was to see the world - it was the only thing I was sure of.

Hours upon hours were spent scrolling through other blessed peoples photographs on the internet or looking through magazines and newspapers, reading stories and tips, and lists of places, looking at others' 'bucket lists' - something I like to call a "life list" - then further researching into unknown places, which sometimes led to making it onto mine.

Over the last couple of years, more than likely since I spent 2 weeks in Africa, I've felt somewhat content - like going to Kenya and Uganda gave me the ability to focus on other things I want in life. I'd travelled, I'd seen places I had only imagined since I first discovered them with young eyes.

I've been able to turn my direction on wanting things closer to home, like setting my self up, I'm still nowhere near that but I've begun working my way to a career and I have instead been with the state of mind that owning a home is what I need before I travel, before anything major. So that I have somewhere to come back to that is mine.

Although the wonder never left, my heart isn't bursting with an ache to travel right now, but I have undeniably been feeling it come back over the last short while. It increasingly feels heavy whenever I envision the world or see the journeys taken by others. And I want to do it myself.

In saying this, I want to create a new collection of posts which encompass my life list of travelling or some kind of inspiration surrounding wanderlust, and share those places which I will one day be able to experience for my self and take photographs of which are my own.


I hope you enjoy them and please share in the comments your own stories, images, wanderlists or inspiration for travelling the world!

Africa | 3 of 5

This day began with a morning game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we saw our first elephants, 3 or 4 in total (I can't quite remember) most were pretty far in the distance. But, there was one which suddenly appeared only a few metres away. It was complete amazement to see that giant, wrinkled, grey creature, waving its huge ears - something I had imagined for years before - up close in the wild. It's still hard to believe sometimes, that I've seen an African elephant.

In the afternoon we went for a boat ride down Kazinga Channel, I will post about this next. My first two Africa posts can be seen here and here.

   

Africa | 2 of 5

The next two days consisted of long drives and sore backs. Travelling up the Mau Mau Escarpment, a thousand metres above the floor of the Rift Valley, crossing the border from Kenya into Uganda, speed bumps through any area which was mildly built up (too often), passing the Equator line into the Northern Hemisphere for the first time, and driving on roads through dense jungle. Much of the land we saw on our trip was once just like that, but majority, like many parts of the world has been logged over time. It was fascinating seeing nothing but a green wall right by your window, pouring down rain, there is definitely not a shortage of things to occupy your eyes as you cross this continent.

You can see my previous post, which includes my first safari experience, from my Africa series here. Up next is Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Ugandan women

Baboons blocking the road

Outskirts of Kampala

Three-legged cat at the campsite

Leaving Kampala

 7.30am

 Tea plantations

 Rwenzori Mountains (5,109 metre summit)