Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living

Life's too short to play it safe

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How I Landed My Dream Career at Holden Safaris

April 30, 2017 by Sonia Marsh 22 Comments

People kept telling me, “Sonia, you need to create your own career, your background doesn’t fit the jobs listed on career sites.” I knew that, but I continued taking classes in Excel, grant writing, and attending workshops, so that I could fit the traditional job slots. As the days turned into weeks, and then into three months, I put a ton of pressure on myself to “fit the mold.” As my friend Sylvia said, “Sonia, I cannot see you sitting at a desk filling out Excel sheets, that’s just not you.” She was right, yet I didn’t want to feel like a failure, nor did I want to use my age as an excuse for not getting hired.

So when my British friend connected me with Jim Holden, a man who was born in Zambia, and who has traveled, worked and lived all over the world, it took me a while to realize that maybe I no longer needed to look at Indeed.com job offers, and that I should focus on my contacts who may find value in my background and experience.

I stopped searching for jobs online, and started listening to those who told me to create my own career. As a result, I’m now embarking on the career of a lifetime as an independent affiliate of Holden Safaris. This is a dream come true as it combines everything I love: travel, adventure, networking, making presentations, motivating and inspiring people to discover the wonders of an African Safari, social media, writing, helping with fundraising for wildlife conservation and the education of children in Africa. I am fortunate that everything I’ve done has come together in this 3rd chapter of my life, and is bringing me back to Africa, where I was ‘almost’ born, and lived for the first six years of my life.

So why would you want to go on a Safari, and what exactly is it?

“A Safari is like no other vacation! A safari is on everyone’s bucket list. At some point in your life you have to visit the place from which all mankind originates. It is not uncommon for visitors to Africa to be overcome with emotion, observing the wildlife of Africa, living as it did at the time of our ancestors. There is a feeling of coming home.”

Holden Safaris  is a boutique and exclusive safari operator offering East African Safaris in Kenya, Tanzania, gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda, and Southern African Safaris in Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The furthest north of Southern Africa is Zambia, bordering Tanzania. The furthest South is South Africa at the tip of the Africa continent where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Don’t forget the Indian Ocean Islands of Seychelles and Madagascar.

On May 12th, I’m attending a travel conference called Indaba, in Durban, South Africa. After that I’m going on a one-week trip to discover lodges, Safaris, and meeting the wonderful people who give back to their communities helping with animal conservation. What I love about working with Holden Safaris is that they make it possible to fund animal conservation, children’s schools and local communities when clients book one of their custom boutique Safaris. Don’t forget I served in Lesotho as a Peace Corps Volunteer, where many of you donated supplies to my rural school, and now I feel like I can continue this in many other locations, thanks to all the lodge owners we use, who make a difference.

To follow my new adventures, please sign up here (by adding your e-mail on the right side of the front landing page) to receive automatic e-mail updates about my new travel adventures in Eastern and Southern Africa. I have added Step off the Beaten Path with Holden Safaris, as my next Gutsy Living mission in life. I’ll describe each lodge with my personal touch, sharing lots of exciting photos and videos from all the countries I visit, as well as the wildlife I encounter, and of course, fascinating stories about the people and children I meet.

Please ask as many questions as you like regarding my blog posts or anything else you would like to find out about African Safaris.

I’m Going Back to Africa

April 10, 2017 by Sonia Marsh 13 Comments

 

Yes, I’m going back to Africa in May, however, this time, I’m traveling as an independent affiliate of Holden Safaris; a boutique and exclusive safari operator located in Newport Beach, California.

Our first stop is at the INDABA conference, one of the largest tourism marketing events held in Durban, South Africa. After INDABA, our team is driving along a special tour of the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. (The route is shown on the map below. Notice how close we are to Lesotho, where I served as a Peace Corps volunteer.)

 

Our route by car in KwaZulu Natal province.

Have you read The Elephant Whisperer, by Lawrence Anthony?

Anthony rescued and rehabilitated formerly violent, rogue elephants, destined to be shot. When Anthony passed away on March 2nd, 2012, the elephants sensed his death and loitered around his rural compound. In 2013 and 2014, the elephants returned on the exact same day at the same time. It seems incredible how these elephants knew what had happened.

Holden Safaris has arranged for us to visit Anthony’s lodge: Thula Thula Private Game Reserve, in KwaZulu Natal, which is now run by his French widow, Francoise Malby-Anthony. I’m excited to meet and speak French to Francoise and learn more about the rhino rehab center on the Thula Thula Private Game Reserve . This rhino center was built and run by the Lawrence Anthony Earth Organization. If you watch her video below, you’ll discover how her veterinarian injects rhino horns with poison and dyes to stop poachers from killing the rhinos. There is a myth that the rhino horn is an aphrodisiac and can cure certain diseases in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and China, where one kilo of rhino horn powder fetches $40,000. The truth is that rhino horns are made of  the protein, keratin, which is the same as our finger nails, and has no medicinal value.

Francoise Malby-Anthony raises money to save the rhinos through the “Conservation Fund for the Protection and Survival of Our endangered Wildlife.”

 

Our next stop on the map is the Thanda Safari Private Game Reserve, which is described as:

“More than a luxury lodge, more than a dream safari destination, more than an African escape… Thanda Safari offers an authentically South African wildlife experience, matched with sincere commitment to the Zulu culture and passionate conservation of the environment. “

On the following day, we head towards the Manyoni Private Game Reserve, one of the largest privately owned reserves in Kwazulu-Natal.

Rhino River Lodge-Click on photo to go to website

“This 23,000 hectare reserve is the product of 17 dedicated landowners who dropped their fences in 2004 to create one protected area for our wildlife.  The long term vision of the MPGR is to increase the conservation footprint and to re-introduce species that historically occurred in the area.”

We then continue to The White Elephant Pongola Reserve luxury tented accommodation; our next stop.

White Elephant Lodge, reception and library area-click on photo to go to website.

“Eight luxurious Safari tents, each with indulgent bathroom, out door shower, private verandah and personal bar provide a secluded retreat in an unspoilt savannah bushveld teeming with game and bird life.”

A historical stop at the Fugitive’s Drift Lodge

Fugitives lodge accommodation
Fugitives’ Drift Tours-Click on photo to go to website.

“The Zulu War of 1879 is famous throughout the English-speaking world for the great battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. The spectacular Fugitives’ Drift property, a 5000 acre Natural Heritage Site, overlooks both Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, and includes the site where Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill lost their lives attempting to save the Queen’s Colour of their regiment.”

And our last stop is at the Three Trees at Spioenkop on the Northern Drakensburg.

These wonderful children remind me of the children at my school in Lesotho.

The hosts, Simon and Cheryl Blackburn (ex Singita Private Game Reserve and ex Kwando Safari Experience) are both experienced safari & mountain guides, South African-born, they have spent their time together exploring remote parts of Africa, and they believe in:

“Fair Trade Tourism (FTT) is a non-profit organisation that promotes responsible tourism in southern Africa and beyond.  The aim of FTT is to make tourism more sustainable by ensuring that the people who contribute their land, resources, labour and knowledge to tourism are the ones who reap the benefits.”

I look forward to sharing my experiences with you in May when I return to South Africa. If you feel like learning more about Safaris or actually going on a Safari after reading my blog posts, contact me (sonia@soniamarsh.com) and I’ll put you in touch with Jim Holden, President of Holden Safaris. Jim was born in Zambia, and is an expert on Africa. He has been interviewed on Africa with AAA Travel and Peter Greenberg, the CBS News Travel Editor.

I hope you enjoy my next “Gutsy Adventure” in life, and that you might want to experience your own African Safari one day. Feel free to share my post with anyone you know who might be interested in reading about this amazing adventure I’m about to embark on.

 

From Rice and Lentils to Salmon and Champagne

December 4, 2016 by Sonia Marsh 9 Comments

dad-and-sonia-large

From rice and lentils to salmon and champagne, life is good in Paris.

I left my rural village in Lesotho, last week, flew to Johannesburg with a stopover in Abu-Dhabi and finally Paris.

It’s amazing how fast I’ve adapted to nice showers, a washing machine, a clean gym, and good food.

Jill, my Father’s wife celebrated her 80th birthday with 48 relatives and friends who flew in from Denmark, Italy, Brazil, and me from Lesotho.

catherine-and-jill
Jill and her daughter Catherine

We celebrated at “Le Fruit Defendu”  the perfect restaurant for a cozy evening with a delightful Christmas feel located on the banks of the river Seine, west of Paris.

jills-empty-restaurant
Le Fruit Defendu

My charming, 91-year-old father, has not changed, still in good health, and I am always happy when I spend time with him and Jill.

They reserved the entire restaurant several months ago, and as soon as we entered, we enjoyed the inviting fireplace, candles, champagne, friendly guests and an evening of unforgettable speeches.

granddchildren-and-adrien-kissing-mormor
Jill and her grandchildren who made a great speech for her. A family picture.

An elegant three course meal started at 9 p.m., and ended at 12:30 a.m with an ice cream cake and “fireworks” as well as more champagne.

Jill's ice cream "fireworks" cake
Jill’s ice cream “fireworks” cake

I loved catching up with old relatives and friends, and in particular, Anette, a Danish friend who has read and commented on all my FaceBook posts about my life in Lesotho, and been very supportive.

My Danish friend Annette who knew my mother and we've stayed in touch.
My Danish friend Annette who knew my mother and we’ve stayed in touch.

It’s so strange to feel like you can be two different people, one in Lesotho, living a simple life with no luxuries, and another person enjoying the comforts of a western lifestyle.

 

 

 

My First Basotho Funeral

August 7, 2016 by Sonia Marsh 3 Comments

 

The traditional Basotho blankets
Mary and Sonia in their traditional Basotho Blankets

It’s very sad but there seems to be at least one funeral every Saturday in my village in Lesotho, Africa, and I experienced my first Basotho funeral yesterday.

My counterpart, the 7th grade teacher at my school, lost her husband to TB. He was only 37.

Funerals are important community events in Lesotho, and I’ve become aware of the multiple billboards in the capital city, as well as the ads on local television for funeral insurance.

It seems that even the poor, spend at least 10,000 Rand, or $700 on a funeral, and that is a ton of money for a family that cannot feed itself. I admit, I’m not familiar with the details, however, my first Basotho funeral, was elaborate, with numerous priests, a choir, and a brass band.

Mary, my host “mother,” wanted me to wear the traditional Basotho blanket, and I’m glad I did, as it was important to fit into the community.

Numerous tents were set up in the compound where my teacher and her mother-in-law live, and women were busy breaking twigs to keep the fire going under the cast iron pots.  They prepared a traditional meal of beef, samp (like hominy), rice, carrots and beetroots, to feed everyone after the service.

Cooking food for the funeral congregation

Lines of buses and cars flocked the dirt road, and Mary and I arrived a little late, at 10:30.  The grieving wife and mother-in-law, sat on a mattress, next to the coffin, and at one point, the wife covered her entire body and face with the blanket.

When she spotted me, she gestured for me to come and sit next to her on the mattress. I was embarrassed, as I had to walk in front of the entire congregation, including the choir and the priests to reach her.

“Can you please take photos of the coffin and my husband’s photo,” she said. “I do not have a camera.”

Casket with photo
Casket and priests

Her husband’s framed photo sat on top of the casket, with a bouquet of artificial flowers propped up next to his picture.

I did what she requested, but being the only white person in the entire congregation, I felt conspicuous, especially acting like a paparazzi standing in front of the coffin.

A man distributed the folded program listing the names of the speakers at this Basotho funeral, and I had no idea this would be an all-day event.

The choir sang intermittently while the brass band played, and everyone stood, swaying to the music. I watched my teacher in tears, and it seemed more like a festive celebration for the attendees, while she sat, distant and numb, in her own thoughts.

Click here to listen to choir singing.

 

Choir, ladies all in the same blankets
Brass Band

After everyone had spoken, we followed the pallbearers up the hill where the casket was laid to rest in the ground. Two beautiful marble headstones were unveiled, while mourners sobbed at the graveside.

Congregation walking to burial site
Standing in front of the burial site
Headstones

“Let’s go home,” Mary said.

I was expecting us to go back to my rondavel, but then Mary said, “We need to wash our hands.”

She led me back to the tent where the food was displayed in various oversized plastic bowls.

Choir Ladies getting food

“Follow me. We have to wash our hands first,” Mary said.

She showed me what to do. I had to bend over a plastic tub, scoop cold water into my cupped hands and throw the water onto the dirt, so as not to contaminate the water in the bowl.

Mary washing hands before our meal at Basotho Funeral

With wet hands, we proceeded to get a plate of food.

Mary was proud of me wearing her blanket, as her friends complimented her on the way I looked. It means so much to the Basotho when you wear the same as them.

The funeral ended around 4:30 p.m., when the choir ladies boarded the bus, and the brass band, priests and local chief, headed home. I asked Mary if this was a traditional Basotho funeral, and she said yes, apart from the brass band. That was different.

I cannot imagine attending a funeral every Saturday, however, when I ask the teachers at my school how they are spending the weekend, I often get the following response, “I’m going to a funeral.”

How can I live such different lives, and be the same person inside?

July 15, 2016 by Sonia Marsh 1 Comment

My “grandson” In Lesotho
My 7th grade girls are trying harder than the boys
Standing by the Eiffel Tower
Laguna Beach, California

If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll see that I’ve been traveling from Lesotho to Paris to California, and I keep asking myself, how can I live such different lives, and be the same person inside?

I cannot explain how it feels to move from my rural village in the mountains of Lesotho, to the metro and tourist-filled streets of Paris, and now the California beaches. It just doesn’t make sense that I can be the same person, and live in completely different environments.

I have one week left before I return to the orphans and vulnerable children in my African village, and I know what’s going to happen; I’ll be asking myself, “Was that really me in Paris on a boat ride on the river Seine? Was that really me swimming in the Pacific at San Clemente beach? Was this a dream? I cannot seem to answer the question:

How can I live such different lives, and be the same person inside?

If you’re in Orange County, California, next Tuesday, July 19th, I am going to share my experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, southern Africa. If you’re curious to learn more about what it’s really like to move away from luxuries like electricity, toilets, showers and running water, please join me at Mimi’s Cafe in Irvine. The address and time are mentioned below.

I plan to delve into the reality of working as an English teacher in a tiny village, where the only traffic seems to be herds of cows, sheep, goats, and blanket-clad men on horses. The only sounds are roosters, pigs, donkeys that sound like elephants, fighting dogs, and the Basotho people who yell from one mountain to the next. My new life is 6,000 feet above sea level, in “The Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho,” Southern Africa.

During my presentation:

I plan to delve into the nitty-gritty of my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer and entertain you with my daily challenges:
  • Learning to live with zero privacy
  • My “failed” attempts at communicating in Sesotho which have barely progressed beyond formal greetings
  • My amazing public transportation adventures
The positives of my Peace Corps experiences and what I’ve accomplished so far:
  • Improving the English teaching program at my school
  • Forging friendships with teachers and my counterpart at school
  • Receiving numerous donations of clothes, shoes, books and school supplies from wonderful people through my blogging which have greatly benefited the orphans and vulnerable children at my school
  • Other recent accomplishments I shall mention during my presentation
What I plan to do after the Peace Corps, and how I hope to motivate more 55+ to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

I started my Peace Corps “PST” (pre-service training) in Lesotho in October 2015, and this will be my first visit home. I have shared many stories on my blog since I arrived, and as time goes by, I keep learning new things about my environment, and myself.

Julia Capizzi, the amazing Peace Corps recruiter in Orange County, asked me if I’d like to share my experiences when I return this July for a quick vacation to visit my family and friends. I said “Yes,” and am asking all of you who live close by to attend, and bring a friend(s) along.

The Peace Corps Presentation will take place from 5:30 p.m., until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19th at Mimi’s Cafe in Irvine, CA.

Sonia Marsh

Peace Corps Presentation of my life as a Volunteer in Lesotho, Southern Africa

(December 2015-December 2017)

Mimi’s Cafe

4030 Barranca Pkwy,

Irvine 92604

5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.

(You are welcome to stay longer and ask me questions)

I would like to share a power point presentation so you can see what my daily life is like, my school, and more.

Please e-mail me, at Sonia@soniamarsh.com, or Julia Capizzi  at jcapizzi@peacecorps.gov if you’d like to attend, if you are bringing a friend(s). Please write ATTENDING in the subject of your email, as we need a head count.

I hope to see you very soon.

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