I told absolutely anyone who would listen that my priority for this safari was giraffes. I told them that my son specifically requested that I see the giraffes. I told my colleagues that I would be happy to see lions and rhinos and anything else, but once we found the giraffes, they had better get out of my way. In fact, before the safari plan was formulated, I had been thinking about going to the Giraffe Centre just so I could meet some giraffes.

Luckily, the safari plan happened, and I did not have to get lost around Nairobi while looking for giraffes. Thank you, teammates!

We actually saw many animals first, and to be honest I was beginning to despair. We saw the hippopotamus and the Egyptian geese, the guinea fowl and the blacksmith lapwing, a serval cat and some impala, some ostrich and hartebeest, and of course the rhino and the white rhino! Though I was thrilled for each one, quietly I kept wondering, when are we going to find the giraffes?

I can’t remember if the driver gave me a heads up, but I do remember that when we spotted them in the distance, everyone in the van was telling me, “Regina! Regina! THE GIRAFFES!!!”

In case you can’t tell, I nearly cried. They were so tall and graceful, and they moved so deliberately, and it made me ridiculously happy to see them.

At that moment I really really wished Lucas was on the safari with me. It reminded me of how happy he was when we met Bhari the Giraffe at Avilon Zoo.

For all their beauty and grace, it was important to remember that in the wild, they’re prey. In fact, at one point we saw two lionesses crouching in the tall grass. They were ignoring us, and looking in the distance, mostly lying down, peeking above the grass occasionally. When we looked up at the hills, we saw some giraffes and calves feeding, and we guessed that the lionesses were hunting them. I’m relieved we didn’t see any actual hunting while we were there; that would have been traumatic!

If I ever make it back to Nairobi someday, and I manage to take Lucas with me, I think we’ll go to the Giraffe Centre. The safari is amazing, but the giraffes will have us both in tears.