My top ten favorite moments of 2024.
I’m writing this from the roof of my rental apartment in Tunis on the last night of the year, the sun setting behind me, the rooftops golden. Looking back over the year to create this list, I can’t believe how fortunate I’ve been and how many deserts I’ve visited, from the Lompoul desert in Senegal to the Namib desert in Namibia to the icy fields of Antarctica at the bottom of the world to the fine sands of the Sahara in southern Tunisia (from whence I have just returned). It’s been quite a trip.
It’s difficult to boil down a year into a few moments, but here’s a swing at it. In (roughly) chronological order:
1
Seeing Youssou N’dour live in Dakar on New Year’s Day, Senegal.
I spent the last week of 2023 on a tour of Senegal, ending on the first of the year. I had seen posters advertising a performance by Youssou N’dour on New Year’s Day and Amadou, my guide, helped me procure tickets. If you had told high school me that I’d one day see him perform in Dakar, his mind would have been blown. As an adult, my mind was completely blown.
The concert started late and went even later. We left before it ended to beat the traffic; I heard from the woman who owns my Air Bnb in Dakar that her daughter didn’t get home until around six in the morning.
Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my camera to the concert; above is a photo of the westernmost point of Africa (finding it and getting to stand there is also a highlight of the year; I’m planning to visit the northernmost point of Africa this weekend).
To read more about my time in Senegal, click here.
2
A late-afternoon chat with Janis Carter at the Chimp Rehabilitation Project, The Gambia.
I remember reading about Lucy, a chimpanzee raised by a human family, when I was younger. She was eventually sent to The Gambia when she became too aggressive as an adolescent. Janis Carter helped find Lucy a home in The Gambia and stayed behind to care for her (and she’ll say herself, she was expendable). That began a 47-year long project to protect a chimpanzee population on a small island in The River Gambia.
The center sits on a beautiful stretch of the river, upriver from the nearest town. Sitting on the dock, chatting with Janis as the sun went down is something I’ll hold with me forever.
To read more about my time in The Gambia, click here.
3
The friends I made on a journey to Antarctica over many hands of Monopoly Deal.
Visiting Antarctica was a phenomenal experience (I loved it so much so that I’m heading back in a few weeks; this time to visit the other side). It far exceeded anything I could have ever imagined.
And while seeing the white continent up close was exceptional, the one thing I couldn’t have imagined are the friends I made over many nights of Monopoly Deal—with the guides from all over the world (shoutout to Kris & Cherese in particular), and with the Cruise Daddies Dilini and Ellie, both traveling solo for reasons of their own.
The polar plunge was also a lot of fun.
To read more about my trip to Antarctica, click here.
4
Four nights at the andBeyond Sossousvlei Desert Lodge (including my first helicopter ride), Namibia.
While Namibia on the whole was a revelation, the standout was the time I spent at the andBeyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. It was the impetus for my trip, on the strong recommendation of my friend Angela. It was expensive, but so worth it. I also splurged to take my first helicopter ride over the desert dunes to the sea. Call it a birthday present to myself. I cried when I had to leave.
To read more about my time in Namibia, click here.
5
Watching herds of elephants emerge from the savanna at dusk at the Okaukuejo waterhole, Namibia.
Honestly, I could probably fill this entire top ten solely with experiences from Namibia (visiting The Kolmanskop Ghost Town could easily show up on this list, but I’m afraid of over-weighting Namibia—not hard to do).
The night I spent at the Okaukuejo camp was the most profound I spent in Etosha. The waterhole became elephant central at dusk as herd after herd emerged from the bush to come drink before disappearing into the night. Later, I got up at around two in the morning to watch giraffe and rhinos emerge from the darkness to take their turn. Magical just scratches the surface.
To see more photos from the Okakuejo waterhole, click here.
6
Exploring the Kolmanskop Ghost Town, Namibia.
Ok ok ok. So this was a total highlight. Somehow, I hadn’t even realized that this was in Namibia. I had seen photos of windows and doorways filled with sand but never thought to look up where they were taken.
I hadn’t even realized where this was once I arrived in Namibia, and only discovered it when I was looking for things to do around Luderitz, where I was staying a few days. What an incredibly pleasant surprise.
To see more of my photos of Kolmanskop, click here.
7
Learning to pole a mokoro in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
I felt like Baams, my guide in the Delta, was laying down a challenge. He asked if I would like to try learning to pole the mokoro the afternoon I had booked a trip upon one. I said I was game.
Elleni laughed when I first pushed off. My stance was awkward and looked ridiculous. I was afraid to laugh for fear of losing my balance. Once I put my feet together, I focused on my balance. While poling I couldn’t seem to master going in a straight line; I kept going around in circles. Thankfully, I didn’t fall in. In the end everyone was surprised at how well I did. The next day, I’d hear that Wizzy had fallen in.
To read more about my trip to the Okavango Delta, click here.
8
Lunch at Oak in Ghent, Belgium.
My favorite meal of the year was at this beautiful restaurant in Ghent, where I spent two days out of a week in Belgium. The food was sublime, the service kind. Chef Ballardin came by to finish a dish or to check in now and again. Learning I was to visit Rio de Janeiro in September, he printed me a list of the restaurants he likes to frequent there. He told me it’s his favorite city in the world. After visiting, I can easily see why.
To read more about my time in Belgium, click here.
9
My daily walk up to the Castle of Ljubljana and finding various ways to return home through the park, Slovenia.
It became a ritual, my daily climb up the hill to the castle. I would do it before lunch, as a late morning activity. At first I did it for the exercise—I feel like 2024 had been a bit too sedentary—but then it became something I didn’t want to start my day without.
At the top, various paths wound their way back down to the city and I determined to try them all; I almost succeeded. Some days I’d reward myself with coffee from Črno Zrno Specialty Coffee, a coffee shop run by a Colombian man who found himself married to a Slovenian woman.
10
My introduction to the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia.
I’ve just wrapped up a wonderful eight-day whirlwind tour of Tunisia; I have a lot of writing and editing to do over the next few weeks. It was a fantastic trip full of amazing sights. I did very little research before booking the trip; the timing was right and Tunisia is a country that was on my list of places I wanted to go (but really, what country isn’t?). Those were basically the two requirements for me to say yes.
My first afternoon in the medina was a little like coming home. It’s been a long time since my time in getting lost in Fez, Marrakech, or Essaouira, and being in the Medina de Tunis felt instantly like going back in time, not only with respect to the history of the world, but also of my own. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Tunis (or to Tunisia).
And that’s a wrap! The call to prayer has just begun and I’m out to see what I can find for dinner. I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year full of wonder.
And thanks for joining me as I continue to lead a nomadic life. ❤️