Travel - The Power of Shared Experience
Travel is something that continues to inspire me, plain and simply. To call it merely ‘something’ seems wrong, it doesn’t nearly capture the essence of what travel is. For me, it starts as the vessel that carries not only my desire to explore the world, but also my curiosity to unwind this journey, to deepen both purpose and understanding...
I am sure too, that in this mindset I am not alone. So many of us have this burn, this itch to look outside at what’s around us, to challenge our perspectives, and to find home within the unfamiliar. As a ‘traveller’, home is whatever I choose it to be, I consider it to be defined more by a sensation of quiet peace, rather than a destination. Somewhere that makes both my head and my heart equal. Africa, for me, transcends any feeling like this I have known. A perfect blend of calm and adrenaline, where each day unfolds according to nature’s unpredictable design... And then settling each night as the moon rises, knowing there is nowhere else I would rather be.
I am incredibly fortunate to have at my age, and particularly as a young woman, traveled the way that I have. From Australia, I’ve embarked on some unforgettable adventures including many African escapades, I’m addicted that’s for sure. Some may have thought me crazy when I traveled alone, however, I have always felt supported by those close to me. Importantly I see now how pivotal this support was in helping me believe in myself, allowing me to feel that anything is possible.
In lieu of a recent Safari Companion Namibian Adventure in 2024, and as a testament to what The Safari Companion means – I want to express here, my newfound appreciation for the power of ‘shared experience’.
Never before have I felt the way I did in Africa, seeing friends truly soak in and appreciate what I fell in love with that first time I stepped foot in the country. Seeing now family grow this admiration for the untamed beauty of African landscapes, the vastness, the depth, and the connection. As we explored this only grew, with every new destination a deeper feeling towards them experiencing all of this continued to re-inspire my love for this beautiful place. Africa has a way of freeing you, allowing you to be completely and utterly yourself as the drum of this ancient land works to reawaken your child-like spirit. Realizing and watching others experience this, now, that is something that sticks with you forever.
As much as solo travel has previously taught me. I can see now the joy in sharing these memories with others. Countless eye-squinting smiles, belly laughs, and happy tears were shared over some extraordinary moments that are now cherished memories. The sort you don’t realize how much they mean to you until months after, when you’re sitting over a morning cup of coffee and realize that, yes, that all happened.
The gratefulness and patience of this group was second-to-none, just appreciating life for where we were in the present. Something that isn’t valued enough in our busy lives. I truly believe that this was the manifestation that allowed Africa to unleash on us. From looking at rocks, to rustling grass, purple sunsets, golden-lit elephant dribbles by waterholes and an indomitable leopard, Africa’s flood doors were wide open. With what felt to be hundreds of giraffes in the open plains, we breathed, saw and felt every inch of Namibia that washed over us.
Now you can get those experiences traveling solo, I mean sure, of course you can. I have done before... But that feeling with a group, it’s like seeing it new through ten pairs of new eyes, magnifying a first that what we all feel together. A shared wavelength of existence, for those moments’ life is beyond the imaginable. For me anyway, suddenly, the time spent together contemplating the African bush became increasingly just as important as the experiences alone.
And that, that is why The Safari Companion is so special, what we are committing to achieve. To explore not only a real love for the rawness of Africa, but to also intertwine this intoxicating connection to life... To people, to landscapes, and to wildlife like no other. So come and join us – anything is possible.
Bridie Newton
