2015 Reflections of Gratitude
“From His fullness we all have received Grace Upon Grace” John 1:16 As I reflected on this past year, I was reminded of God’s goodness to us in so many ways. My dear friend, Cindy, shared the above verse and it mirrored our sentiments exactly. Much of His goodness has come in the shape and form of people! God has surrounded us with so many warm, loving, kind-hearted generous souls who have opened their homes and hearts to us throughout our year on the road. While I would love to list each and every one… Read More
Day 366: Time Flies…One Year Already!
Unbelievable! Today, June 16th, marks our Round the World one year anniversary! It’s difficult to believe a whole year has passed, and yet here we are in Vienna, Austria, making plans for our return. Over the last few days, I’ve been putting together a “Year in Review” with photos and commentary, but as I progressed, I realized it would take much longer than I anticipated. Perhaps I will save that for our return. In the meantime, as I was reflecting on the past year, I was reminded of God’s goodness to us in… Read More
Ryan on Safari
Our first safari was in South Africa, at a place called Bush Lodge. We arrived at night, so we didn’t see as much, but our spotter/tracker Dollen spotted a GREEN chameleon in a bunch of GREEN leaves with a flashlight in the dark. (He had a good eye). Our second safari, which required us to get up at 5:30 AM so we could leave at 6 AM, (after coffee, of course) was pretty awesome. We even spotted a leopard, which is pretty rare to see, because they are so good at camouflage. We… Read More
Day 353: Zambia and Hunting Rhinos
Hunting Rhinos to shoot, with our cameras of course. In addition to Victoria Falls, this was one of the other highlights we experienced in Zambia. We set out in our safari jeep, excited and hopeful but a little apprehensive, as we knew we would hunting the Rhinos on foot. Of course, we could only do this with several heavily armed guards, but if a Rhino chose to charge us, I’m not so sure how safe we’d be, regardless of the guards’ presence. Plus the thought of being the cause for a guard to… Read More
Day 351: Safari on the Zambezi River
The Zambezi River is Africa’s fourth largest river, running through six different countries on its way to the Indian Ocean. Much of the Zambezi is undeveloped and retains its raw beauty. Its biggest claim to fame are the gorgeous Victoria Falls, which we blogged about a few days ago. While in Zambia, we had the opportunity to enjoy several safari cruises. The scenery was stunning, but the wildlife even more amazing. Our highlight was spotting a huge herd of elephants satisfying their thirst riverside. We were all surprised to see this, as… Read More
Safari Encounters: Lions
Large, powerful, daunting. The strongest cats out there (except for possibly tigers). Roars that can be heard 5 miles away. Speeds of up to 50mph. They possess sleek fur and voluminous manes. With 1 1/2 in. (or more) retractable claws and about 3 in. canine teeth, these animals are deadly. They are the leaders and defenders of 15 member groups commonly known as prides. They are the first ones to devour freshly caught prey. They are the ones who have no humility. They are the ones to make wildebeests, impalas, zebras, giraffes, buffalo, wild… Read More
Safari Highlights: The Zebras
I think I took Zebras for granted the first time I went on safari. There were so many of them, I didn’t notice how unique and beautiful each one was. I was more excited about spotting, you guessed it…the Big Cats. This time around, I took the time to study and appreciate them, and learned a few fun facts. I’ve shared a few of my favorite zebra shots and facts below. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. First off, Zebras are part of the horse family. Maybe you… Read More
Safari Highlights: Leopards and Cheetahs
Ok, now on to the gorgeous Leopards! Below, we are doing a night safari. It was our very first one at Kapama and I didn’t have high hopes that we would spot any Big Cats. It’s especially difficult to spot a leopard hiding in a tree in the middle of the day, as they blend in so well. Try spotting one at night! But it happened and we felt incredibly fortunate that this one was spotted. We were awed by its beauty and sleekness. The photos below were taken within an hour of… Read More
Safari Highlights: Lions, Cubs, and Sunglasses
Photographing the Big Cats is one of the top reasons many people journey half way across the world. Spotting one in the wild can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your life. It was for me, that is. I am drawn to the Big Cats and find myself wanting to get as close to them as is humanly possible. But there is also a sane part of my brain that recognizes their strength as well as the danger and foolishness of not respecting that these are wild animals. Just look at this guy! We have spoken… Read More
Our help at the School
Lorna and Marty volunteer to teach English at a school a few days every week. They have a large group of different kids each day. One of the ways my family and I helped Lorna and Marty while we were in Capetown was by giving these kids a little lesson of our own. For the three mornings that we did it, my dad was the main speaker. My mom had previously created a slideshow using some of the photos she’d taken so far of our trip. This was to help give the… Read More
Danny
Deena Gainor
Kathryn
Ryan Gainor
Ryan Thomas
Mikayla
Six Hearts One Journey 
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