An African Adventure Awaits...

Welcome to a brand new blog: 'An African Adventure...'

The last overseas holiday that I experienced was my second trip to New Zealand, in March 2009.
This was the culmination and fulfillment of a lifetimes dream, and one which will live with me forever. Now five years later a new dream awaits me, one which will have an even greater impact on my life...visiting the lovely Nancy in Kenya!

For the past six months we have been communicating either online, via mobile phone, as well as writing letters (the old-fashioned way, because I'm an old-fashioned gentleman!), and our feelings have grown stronger with every day that passes. In two weeks time I finally hope to be in a position financially to enable me to travel to Kenya, so that we can be together in April. Our mutual excitement is beyond words, and with just six weeks potentially remaining prior to my intended flight, the clock is counting down fast...

It's been quite amusing and interesting to witness the different reactions and perceptions to my plans and to our romance. A lot of my mates think I'm crazy, and appear to have very limited ambitions with regards to where following your heart may take you, whereas a majority of my female friends believe I'm an old romantic and are full of much appreciated support. The bottom line as far as I'm concerned is simple...I'm 46 years of age and still looking for that special lady to share my life with, so if she happens to live up the road, over the other side side of the world, or in Kisumu, then I'm gonna journey to wherever it may be, and follow my heart and my dreams!

Kisumu is in Western Kenya in East Africa, near the equator and alongside Lake Victoria ~ I will write more about Kenya's third largest city in my next blog. What's most important to me is that this is where Nancy lives, with her beautiful daughter Joy, and with her sister Lucy, and all her other family and friends nearby.
The plan is for me to fly in to Nairobi, where Nancy will greet me at the airport, (that in itself is gonna be a heartwarming moment), and to spend a few days sampling Kenya's capital city. We'll then travel back up to Kisumu and spend the rest of an amazing two weeks together. Nancy has many places she wishes to show me, and I just can't wait. They say travel broadens your horizons as well as your mind, and to explore a totally new country and culture is going to be absolutely illuminating for me. The fact that I will be sharing this experience alongside the love of my life, hand-in-hand, just makes the whole adventure so very exciting, and I am so full of wonderful anticipation.

With six weeks to wait there is still much to do. I hope to book the flight during week commencing March 3rd, (when my budgeted funds should be available), as well as buy some holiday clothes and other essential items. My intended date of departure is around March 29th - 31st, depending on availability and cost. In the meantime I need to get all of my jabs and vaccinations administered. I've just had the second of three Hepatitis A+B injections, as well as receiving tablets for Typhoid, and when I have the third Hepatitis A+B jab I will also have a Yellow Fever injection too. This jab isn't necessarily compulsory, but depending on how you arrive into Kenya this isn't always the case. If you fly directly into Nairobi via Europe there is no need for proof of a Yellow Fever vaccination, but if you arrive via certain other countries then you do. At this stage I obviously don't know which route I'll be taking, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Also, it is recommended that visitors journeying to Western Kenya should have the jab. Incidentally, there are only two airlines which fly direct from Heathrow to Nairobi (British Airways and Kenya Airways), a flight journey time of nine hours, and the most common stop over destinations are either Dubai, Switzerland, or Turkey (depending on the particular airline that the flight is booked with). I think I will have to take whatever I can get...so long as I can arrive in Nairobi safe and sound to be with Nancy, then I'll fly via Timbuktu if necessary! All that then leaves me to organise is some anti-Malaria medication, which I will also hopefully sort out during week commencing March 3rd.

During my adventures in April, I shall try to keep a diary which I'll transfer into future blogs, along with accompanying photos which I'll upload either on here or via Facebook, but the main purpose of my visit to Kenya is to be with my sweet girlfriend, so the writing won't be my priority...sharing precious quality time with Nancy will. Between now and then I'll keep you all updated with my planning and my preparations for this exciting journey.
So let the adventure commence...
Je T'aime my darling, see you soon.

Steve Muskett