Watching the sunrise over the Nile from my hotel balcony in Luxor, I found myself unexpectedly transported back 20 years to a dusty morning in California, standing in a hot air balloon basket about to jump. This is a story about what happens when we say yes to something wild, and how a single moment can thread itself through the rest of our lives in beautiful, unpredictable ways.

In this postcard-style travel essay, I unpack what it's really like to journey through Africa — not just the beauty, but the discomfort, complexity, and cultural tension that challenge and change us. From nearly hitting baboons on the highway to reckoning with gender roles in conservative countries, this is an honest reflection on travel, privilege, and growth.