Hey guys! So I’ve decided to resume my monthly recaps! My recaps will cover the highs and lows of living in Uganda and Kenya, as well as recap where I’m traveling and what I’m reading.
Wow, what a month! I got to spend a week in Zanzibar diving and beaching (but mostly beaching).
Not only that, I went on my first safari in Murchison Falls, Uganda’s largest national park. Childhood dreams = made.
At a rooftop restaurant in Stone Town, Zanzibar
Where I’ve Been:
Zanzibar, Tanzania (8 days)
Murchison Falls, Uganda (3 days)
The rest – at home in Kampala!
Highs:
Exploring magical Zanzibar. Zanzibar was a dream. For those who don’t know, Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania that is a blend of Arab, Persian, and African cultures.
I fell in love because it has delicious food, age-old history, and some of the bluest water I’ve ever seen. If you love food, history, and/or beaches, get yourself to Zanzibar.
The Insta-famous Rock Restaurant on Zanzibar!
GOING ON SAFARI. As a kid I was obsessed with safari animals due to The Lion King. This month, I got to live out my childhood dreams by going on safari!
We got super lucky – in one morning we saw lions, hyenas, giraffes, hippos, AND elephants. Post soon!
And for more safari pics, check out my Instagram.
Cooler weather. Kampala has finally cooled down and wow, what a relief. Either that or I’m just more accustomed to the heat? In any case I am no longer profusely sweating and I am very grateful for that.
Visiting a rhino sanctuary. This month, I was also lucky enough to visit a rhino sanctuary. The rhinos were so cool to see up-close, and looked almost prehistoric to me.
Crazy fact – did you know rhino horns sell for $65,000/kilo? That’s more than gold. Which is why rhino sanctuaries are so critical to their survival in the wild – rhino poachers are abundant in Africa.
Launching my au pairing ebook. This month I finally launched my au pairing ebook, The Insider’s Guide to Au Pairing in Europe. I’m quite proud of it as I wrote and designed it myself (in InDesign, no less!)
The book is a complete guide on how to become an au pair — from navigating paperwork and visas to packing to making friends abroad. If you know someone who is considering au pairing, please pass it along!
And because you guys are awesome, here’s the friends and family discount which gives you 20% off – just enter FF20 at checkout.
I’ve already sold some copies so I couldn’t be more pleased. And thank you to all the lovely ladies who gave testimonials!
Lows:
Bronchitis. Far and away the biggest low this month was that I got really, really sick. For two weeks, I had acute bronchitis that was so bad I was hooked up to a ventilator and had to use an inhaler. Basically I was wheezing like crazy and couldn’t breath. Not fun.
What I’m reading:
Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (1927). Cliché of clichés, I’m reading Out of Africa. It’s the story of a Danish woman who came to Kenya in 1917 to start a coffee plantation. Funny enough, her plantation is now a suburb of Nairobi named Karen.
I also just read Ariel Levy’s book, The Rules Do Not Apply, and loved it – she’s an incredible writer.
What’s up next:
Nairobi! This month I’m working from our Nairobi office! I’m hoping to get to know Nairobi as well as take a few weekend trips around Kenya. If you have any Nairobi/Kenya recommendations, let me know in the comments!
A few housekeeping notes –
No more Jetpack emails. I switched my email provider from Jetpack to ConvertKit, so all email subscribers should receive this post via ConvertKit. Please let me know if you have any problems receiving it – I’m still working out a few kinks with the transfer.
My brand-new Travel Resources page. This month I created a super useful Travel Resources page! It contains all of my travel recommendations, from getting the cheapest flight to packing for long-term travel.
Blogging advice. And FINALLY (I have a lot of news this month), I’m starting a new section of the site dedicated to blogging and digital marketing. See the ‘Blogging Advice‘ tab in the upper menu? That’s where my blogging and digital marketing posts will go.
I created this section as I wanted a place to share all I’ve learned about blogging in the past five years. I also want to help other bloggers with digital marketing tactics, from SEO to email marketing and beyond.
I know not everyone is interested in these subjects which is why these posts won’t show up in the home page or in your email inbox if you’re subscribed to receive posts from Ashley Abroad.
But if you’re a blogger or digital marketer, sign up to receive my blogging and digital marketing tips below.
Enough about me! How was your April? Any big plans for the summer?
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Ashley, maybe put a warning by that link to Ariel Levy’s article? I’m pregnant, and absolutely would not have read it if I’d had any idea what it is about. I’m already dealing with enough fear surrounding all the things that could go wrong; that’s not going to be helpful.
I don’t mean to sound harsh, but I really think you should warn people what the subject is. Not all your readers are young singles.
Elizabeth, I’m so sorry! That was very thoughtless of me. I’ve just removed the link to the article. Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it.
Hey Ashley I’m glad to hear that you’re starting another tab for blogging and digital marketing tips. I think it’s really nice and helpful. Also enjoy Kenya! It’s my native country and I can only hope you’ll love it as much as me! :)
Thanks, Cindy! I’ve heard great things :)
I LOVE your photos, what do you use to edit them?
I’m also reading Out of Africa. Are you liking it? I loved it then it went a bit fragmented towards the end.
Thanks, Natalia! I use Lightroom. I just started Out of Africa but it’s very dense! I’m only reading like a chapter a night.
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for the post but I would love it if you went a bit deeper about you’re day-to-day life in Africa. I’ve read all your posts and I’m still unsure what you’re doing there or what daily life is like. I know it may be your new normal (and therefore not as interesting to you) but I’m so intrigued by it and would love to read more than just the highlights! Thanks
Hi Alex, thanks for your feedback. I guess I haven’t written about my day-to-day life as I work 9-6 Monday-Friday, so my life’s not super exciting most days. But I think you’re right in that it might be interesting for others to see what it’s like anyway!
Just found your blog and enjoyed reading it.
Zanzibar looks lovely.
x
p.s. What do you do for work in Kampala?
Thanks Stephanie! :) I work in marketing for a food delivery company.
Congratulations on launching the online book, that’s so wonderful and such an accomplishment! These photos are gorgeous, I have Africa on my list and would love to visit one day. I plan to teach English there soon, it looks like such an amazing experience!
http://mylovelierdays.com
Thanks so much, Diana! I haven’t seen much of Africa yet (just Uganda and Tanzania) but so far I’m pretty smitten :)