A friend died last week. She was 46 and only found out she had advanced lung cancer (never smoked) a couple of months ago. She loved the outdoors and always wanted to go to Africa, it was her "trip of a lifetime". We talked about my trips and she wanted to get away but work, etc. didn't allow her the time. She figured she could go when she retired. When she realized her cancer was untreatable, her partner tried to convince her to make a quick trip and he began making plans but she decided she didn't feel up to it and never got to go. Moral? Find your own, but for me it only confirms my resolve not to put off those things I really want to do.

Very sorry to hear about your friend. You are right, we need to seize the day and not put off happiness to tomorrow.

I am sorry to hear about your friend also. I am so glad I hounded my parents and wrote them a long guilt trip type letter to go on the "trip of a lifetime" with me.

My parents are still going strong, but the moral is if you are still putting things of for yourself, GO! Not just Africa, but anywhere. And don't be afraid to lay on thick guilt and pressure on your family & friends to go. They will be glad they did and great memories cannot be taken away.

Tuckeg, I am sorry about your friend. The moral I find is that it's later than you think.

I am so sorry about your friend, Tuckeg. The next time you go to Africa, maybe you could bring a beautiful photo of her and leave it there.

So sorry to hear about your friend.

All the more reason "to eat dessert first."

I add my sincere condolences to those of the others! I am so thankful for the opportunity to have had my dream of going to Africa realized. I really like Clem's picture idea.

tuckeg, so sorry for your loss, along with the sadness of the situation.

This past April I took my parents to Africa for their 50th anniversary. My Mom had always wanted to go, my Dad never really thought about it. We all had a most wonderful time, but I think my Dad was the most excited one each and every time we saw an animal.
At the first camp, where the tracker sat on the hood of the vehicle, my Dad got to sit in the front left passenger seat, riding shotgun for every drive. All the rangers called him "Chief", I guess in reference to his silver hair and age.
Since I have been back, I have encouraged everyone that looks at my photos and said "wow, I've always wanted to do that", to in fact, just do it.
My Mom had some medical tests done last week and she said "if anything is majorly wrong, we are all going back to africa quickly". But all was well and we are going to wait until spring of 2009 and make a return trip.

Be present and live in the now.

The message was driven home for me by the sudden death of my boss at 51, about a month ago.

I received this message loud and clear and acted on it in 2005. My first husband and I got our passports in the early 90's so we would be ready to go "somewhere-sometime". Sometime never came and after he died at age 54 one of the saddest things I found when packing up his stuff was his empty passport.
That's when I made my vow to fill mine up and fill it up fast.

My sincerest condolences on your friend's passing. This may be a weird thing to say, but if she was cremated, perhaps you could take some of her ashes there the next time you go. Just a thought...the photo idea is nice, too.

Sorry to hear about your boss, as well, Matt. We never really know what's in the cards, do we?

Most certainly a good reminder not to put off your dreams if at all possible.

I am so sorry about your loss - losing a friend is devastating.
We are spending quite a bit of money on our trip to Bots next summer, taking the kids, on the very idea that you raise. Our time here is too short, and the planet is changing too quickly (for the worse!!!) to put off seeing the magical places around us.

Thank you for posting this -- the message is important. I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend.

And for those of you who were able to travel to Africa with your parents, how wonderful! And I'm envious... I WISH I could get my parents to do something like that with us. Wayne, when I read your (awesome) trip report, I just kept thinking of how I wish my mom and dad could go with us!

Thanks for all your thoughts, athough I didn't post looking for sympathy I do appreciate them. The idea of taking a photo was a good one and also got me thinking about ashes. I'll speak to the family and see what they think. Her favorite spot was the Adirondacks and I think she would have wanted to be there.

As long as we are on the subject there is another reason to go now (I often tell me students this story). In the 1970's my wife and I visted Newfoundland several times. One afternoon we visited Bell Island near St. John's. By accident we came to the edge of a cliff and looking over the edge saw an amazing sight. The cliff was undercut so we were looking down at the ocean about 100 ft below us. In the water a group of humpback whales was feeding. We stayed for hours and it was one of my most memorable expeiences, like floating in balloon over them. As I tell my students, I can give you exact directions to the place, but it won't do you any good. Overfishing reduced the fish to the point where the whales haven't visited the area for years. So go as soon as you can, even if you are still around, the thing you want to see may not be.

My condolences.

Another thing this thread made me think of: It's never to early to encourage and help those around you (or not so close around you) to realize their dreams, travel-related or otherwise. And never too early to work for conservation, for the things you hope your children and their children may someday still be able to see and wonder at.

My heart felt condolences. It is so hard to lose a friend. It was very genrous of you to share this with us. It is a good reminder that "life is not a dress rehersal." And you have reiforced a decision I made 2 years ago to live my life now while I have it to live. thank you and my blessings.
Rhoda

I am sorry for the loss of your friend, Tuckeg, and sorry that she never got to realize her dream of going to Africa.

It's so true that we should seize the moment. My parents always took us on a lot of road trips thru'out the states when we were kids, but their dream was to go to Europe when my father retired. It wasn't to be, for he died of a heart attack at age 60. It still saddens me that they never realized that dream.

So sorry to hear about your friend.

I am living through the nightmare of cancer treatment RIGHT NOW. I have a 90% chance of cure. We have our Botswana safari and visit to friends in Madagascar planned for April-May 2008. The doctor said go have fun. We shall because it will be my I'm all done with treatment trip.

Can anyone imagine anything finer?

I am so sorry to hear about your friend. Hopefully her death will inspire others to to follow their dreams sooner as opposed to later.

I once opened a fortune cookie in a chinese restaurant. The note inside said, "If you're smart you'd eat the cookie instead of reading this fortune."

I think too many people worry about their fortune before eating their cookie. We should all learn to eat more cookies and enjoy life today. (I framed that "fortune" and it is now on my wall where I have all my travel photos.)

I lost a VERY dear friend to breast cancer at 47 - she was the most vital person I'd ever known & she twisted every bit of joy she could out of every day each & every day she lived. I hope your friend did that, as it was the only thing that gave me comfort when I lost her several years ago. I bleed for you - spread the word to live each day as if it were your last.