Sarah ’25, describes the groups two day safari adventures and is grateful for the experience.
Today marked the end of our two-day safari. We are beyond fortunate to have witnessed a family of elephants rolling in Serengeti mud, a satisfied female lion after having eaten, and cleanly licked, an adult zebra, two female cheetahs roaming the prairie lands, a leopard moving between several iconic umbrella thorn trees, and much more. Our Monday began with a breathtaking sunrise from the Serengeti Serena lodge pool. The dark oranges and vibrant pinks of the morning sky radiated across miles of clouds. Later, for breakfast we heavily indulged in the lodge’s breakfast buffet and filled our plates with crepes, freshly baked bread, fruit, omelets, and several African dishes. At our meal, we were greeted by a dik-dik, a small antelope (I highly recommend you google an image of one), named Irene. Sadly, when Irene was a baby, her mother was eaten by a leopard which led Irene to find shelter in the Serena lodge kitchen and dining room. Today, Irene greets guests as they dine and even permits a couple of pets from people every now and again.
After eating breakfast, we hopped in the safari jeeps at eight o’clock sharp and were greeted by an elephant who was enjoying its breakfast, as we left the lodge. While we traversed the rocky terrain of the Serengeti, the view that met our eyes as we popped our heads out of the jeep astonished us. At this time, we were in the central zone of the Serengeti which encapsulates a hilly terrain filled with luscious African plants. Moving onward, we became face-to-face with the animals from above which includes lions, cheetahs, leopards, and more. Seeing these animals reminded me of the girls at Mainsprings. On the first day at Mainsprings, Deerfield visitors were paired with one residential girl for an hour of “reading buddies.” My partner, who shares my name, was bubbly and energetic from the start. Sarah and I read multiple books and played games during our time together. Towards the end, I asked Sarah what her favorite animal is and she immediately responded by shouting “cheetah” before I could even finish my sentence. I then asked if she had ever seen a cheetah and she shook her head and sighed saying that she has only seen pictures of them from when visitors come back from safari. Her response was followed by silence as I pondered the situation. Turns out, Sarah is not alone in her longing to see her favorite animal as other Deerfield students reported that their reading buddies had the same response.
Looking back on the safari, I am forever grateful that the CSGC provides such an incredible opportunity for Deerfield students. What I have seen the past two days will forever stay with me. However, I also want to add that I wish for the residential girls at Mainsprings to be able to see the animals that roam their homeland. Hopefully, with more awareness of the girl’s desires to see these animals, they too can go on the same adventure the 19 of us are blessed to have experienced.
