Did I really travel all the way across the world to wake up in a tent? No, I travelled all the way here so I could wake up in Africa.

That being said, there is simply no feeling like Waking up in a tent anywhere, a gentle breeze caressing the fly sheet or maybe the last drops of the previous nights rain. It has a calming effect and acts almost as a refresh button for what can be a busy and complicated life.

Having spent 5 months travelling from Busy City to crowded destination in Southeast Asia, I woke up this week on the shores of Lake Naivasha with only the sound of birds in the trees up above. Sitting up in the tent doorway, I gripped another Peanut Butter Sandwich and watched as monkeys and giant storks wandered past with a solitary hippo gracing the stillness of Lake Naivasha in the background. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t really Africa or the exotic wildlife that was having an effect. No, it was the simplicity of it all, the lack of distractions and noise of the busy city, the clean air and soothing sounds of nature, the fact that all I needed was a peanut butter sandwich and I was ready to begin another day.

I’m now sleeping in a $10 Masaai blanket in a $20 tent and waking up has never felt this good. It makes me wonder why people don’t do it more often, I mean why stay at an expensive hotel in the city, when you can wake up and feel this way for free?

I am currently camping on Lake Naivasha in Kenya, working online as a freelance travel writer and simultaneously looking into a role as an Africa Overland tour leader. For any companies who read any of my work, I would be delighted to hear from you.

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