Night number 2 in the treehouse

So I did not have the luxury of alcohol on the 2nd night. We were in Kruger from 8am to 8pm, and I only had time for dinner and like two beers. So I had to stay in my hut again. Alone. I was the only alone person in the camp. It was really hard, because even though sometimes I live alone, I really prefer to have a roommate. I get so so so so scared of the dark. I slept with my sister Kasey until I graduated high school for crying out loud. I'm just not an alone person. Too social and too fradey cat I guess.

Anyway, so on night number two Toby the manager of the place offered to drive me to my room and I took him up on it. When we got there he checked for snakes and stuff everywhere and he found a frog on my window and I about jumped through the roof. He asked if I wanted him to move it and I said yes, and then I saw a gecko on the wall. I freaked out. He said that I would want that one because they eat spiders, so I agreed to let the gecko stay. So then Toby left and as soon as I shut the door I started bawling. Like not out loud, but the tears came and then the snot and pretty soon I was hyperventilating. And then I realized that I am 31 years old and this type of behavior is ridiculous. I pulled myself together and went into the bathroom to go pee. I was kind of embarrassed though because I think Toby hung around for a few minutes to make sure I was OK, and I turned the light on when I went pee and as I said there are inches wide holes between every piece of bamboo on the outside walls and I was scared of stuff in the toilet (even though Toby checked in there) so naturally I stood up to pee. I'm pretty sure Toby might have gotten to see the full moon that night if you know what I mean.

People: I wasn't even scared of animals, right? I was scared of monsters. So you can see how irrational it is. I didn't imagine that a cape buffalo might be outside my room (which is absolutely possible:)


No, instead I was imagining that Gollum from Lord of the Rings was outside my room. And so of course it was hard to sleep. But here's what I wrote in my journal:

"I'm pretty freaked out right now. I just wish I wasn't alone. I would be completely fine if someone else were here. Right now I can hear crickets and frogs croaking. No big deal right? Well...'something' is walking around out there. I CAN'T believe I'm doing this. I will wear ear plugs tonight. What the? I'm really in Africa and I'm really sleeping alone in a bamboo shack under a mosquito net."

But then as I said, I also wrote:

"This was one of the best days of my life."

I saw 4 baby lion cubs. I saw an elephant take a bath. I saw zebras cuddling with each other. I saw two lady elephants fighting with each other. I saw lions licking themselves like a common house cat. I watched the most beautiful sunset of my life.




Oh, and p.s. Toby said he heard me crying. He did not, however admit to seeing me pee. And I didn't ask.