So I have been living in the South African bush for one week now and I can safely say that this is absolutely where my heart belongs. We haven’t even been out on a game drive yet but living here surrounded by the noises of frogs singing, insects chirping, jackals calling and the occasional lion roaring just makes my soul so peaceful. Epic thunderstorms start with a distant rumbling even while a blue sky persists for hours above us, before finally the dark clouds gather and the rain descends. This morning we were doing 6am yoga by the pool overlooking the dam (I know, how freakin’ yummy mummy am I) when half way through, a herd of sable antelope came crashing through the bush below us to drink at the water and crash heads with each other for 20 minutes. This is how bonkers my life is now; this is my new normal and I never want to leave.

This has been one of the more hectic weeks of my life. I have met 17 new people who are going to be my family for the next six month and ho-ly shit there is so much for us all to learn! Anyone who was under the impression that I was going to be having a year long holiday is sadly mistaken. 7am is a late start here and four-hour lectures are standard, although still feel shorter and more engaging that hour-long lectures at Oxford. Us international students have had a five hour round trip to wade through the bureaucracy of South African government, just to get a traffic number so we can apply to do our SA driving theory and practical tests. We had a morning at a reptile park, an afternoon trip to the bustling metropolis that is Hoedspruit to get our sexy, sexy khaki uniform that we will live in for the next year, practice driving the game viewer vehicle, and two full, sweaty AF days of First Aid so that I can now treat a snake bite, splint your broken leg and save yo life (passed with flying colours thank you very much). And this all interspersed with a shit tonne of studying for our first test on Monday, based on the first module in our workbooks - 59 questions we’ve had to answer on Guiding Skills, for which we had to read an entire book. Oh, and not to forget trying to get to know these people that we’re stuck with for the next 6 months! Luckily that ain’t a problem as everyone is amazing and I wouldn’t change the group for the world… Ask me again in 3 months though..!

And yes, before you ask, I have already got sunburnt. And no, before you ask, I probably haven’t learnt my lesson and will get sunburnt again.

Next week we’re meant to have three good days of rain which will finish the rejuvenation of the bush, hopefully it won’t get in the way of our first proposed game drive on Tuesday; the only one we actually get to enjoy before we’re doing them ourselves and actually have to learn things… Anyway, I’m off for dinner and a liberal dose of aftersun, love you all :)