Sabbatical Part 2 - Beginning

I've arrived in Casablanca to start my 7-8 month trip of Africa! I plan to get to around 25 countries in this time.

It starts tomorrow with a 23-week trip from the Fes (Morocco) all the way down the west coast, finishing in Cape Town (South Africa).

I'm bloody terrified. 😱 For a start, 5 and a half months travelling with a group of strangers on an expedition that does not have a daily set itinerary is scary enough. Throw in camping for 164 nights, going through remote and potentially areas my government warns against (i.e., Do not travel).

I also had to fly with the equivalent of $10,000 AUD. Carrying this cash alone has caused anxiety! I'm not sure of my life choices right now! 🤣 This will either be the best thing or the stupidest thing I've ever done! And there's no shortage of stupid things I've done! 😅

As nervous as I am now, I'm sure it's going to be amazing! I'm just pushing myself out of my comfort zone and will settle into it soon.

But the worst part of it all was leaving my 14 year old golden retriever (Izzi) not knowing if I'll ever see her again. She is currently living a pampered life with my parents and has always spent significant time with them. They love her, and she loves them. But I'm still her mum, and when I started planning this trip over 5 years ago, I never dreamt she'd still be around. (My last dog passed at age 9 😢) If she makes it to mid-May next year, I'll come home a month early to spend time with her. If not, my plan is to be back in mid-June. At this stage, my last travel commitment ends on 17 May.

Note: no touring of Casablanca; I was here a few years ago. I'm just here for a night before an early train ride to Fes in the morning. The second photo shows how close the train station is from my hotel room. The first is my last photo with Izzi before I left.Read more