Hubby and I left the house to go grocery shopping on Easter Monday.  While driving along the Southern By-Pass, we randomly decided to go for a game drive at the Nairobi National Park once we were done with shopping.  At a time when Covid-19 restrictions limit movement,  fun and random things for two to  do outdoors are so welcome.

                         Trailing the lions

It brought back memories of how random we used to be before the kids checked in. Heh….we were random! OK,  let  me be more honest… He was the random one. I was Miss ‘Let’s First Put a Plan in Place’? Slowly but surely I became random too atleast in as far as just waking up and deciding to do something fun?? especially if it involved going on road trips.

Then life evolved and involved others who must be kept  in mind before you do literally anything. But, we still find simple ways to be random.  In this case meaning things that can be done without having to put intricate plans in place ahead of time.

It was an amazing Game Drive.  It was my third one at the Nairobi National Park. I have been to the Maasai Mara twice,  Amboseli, Hell’s Gate and Lake Nakuru….but I have never seen so many lions…enjoying their kill and all. Especially  on a very  sunny afternoon when lions would normally be resting away from the sun.

By the time we left the Park, we just felt rested  by  simply having had an unplanned but lovely getaway.

Here’s how to turn your next grocery trip into a mini getaway for two??…

1. Always have your identification

This seems obvious but on occasion, I have disappointed my random Hubby by not having my ID on me and needing it to access certain  places. It’s particularly important for game drives, visits to museums etc. You can imagine the look on his face for the times I have said, I don’t have my ID…?

2. Cooperate?

If the random idea isn’t yours…just cooperate.  I had to learn to go with the flow! I had to stop always looking for reasons not to go or do something fun at the time it is suggested.  Ukipelekwa… pelekeka? (if you are being taken…just go!)

3.  What Are You Carrying?

Think about what you have in your car or  with you that might get damaged or any other not so nice thing.

We had bought something fragile at the supermarket that would have gotten damaged by the rough ride at the National  Park had we not made sure it was properly wrapped. The safety of your personal property is important . If your random treat is likely to end up costing you something important… don’t even bother, there will  be other opportunities.

4. Relish the Experience

I don’t have too many pictures or videos of my day at the Nairobi National Park. I was all about enjoying the moment. If you have done a game drive before you know that citing animals isn’t obvious ? you could miss a lot of them. So, for all that I saw, it was about the moment and not taking loads of photos and videos that I may never look at again.

5. Look Forward to Doing It Again

There is something about anticipation that adds a spark to the routine that life can become. Without planning and spoiling the excitement of spontaneity, always be ready to do something off routine. It’s good for yourself, your relationships and those around you.  A better you makes you a better person to those who spend a lot of time with you.

There were so many people enjoying game drives on that day. Instead of being a discouragement, it brought a sense of patriotism…. we keep our industry going during these uncertain times in little ways. The Kenya Wildlife Service were really efficient in moving queues along. That’s encouragement enough to visit soon if you haven’t yet ??