Africa Wasn’t the Plan — It was an Answer

If you had told me a few years ago that I’d end up working in the travel industry — let alone representing a one-of-a-kind safari business in Kenya — I probably would’ve laughed and gone back to spiking volleyballs at Penn State. My journey was never a straight line to Africa. It started on the courts and later led me into the world of wedding venue management.  

At no point did I think, ‘Africa. That’s where I’m headed.' And yet, here I am, claiming Kenya as a second home.

What drew me to Angama wasn’t a deep love of wildlife or a long-standing dream to work in tourism. In fact, I’d never even been to Africa when I accepted the role. What drew me in was something much simpler: the people. From my first conversation with the Angama team, I knew this wasn’t going to be just another job. Angama made it clear that they are people first — always. I wasn’t looking to be a corporate robot, churning out reports and forgetting birthdays. I wanted to feel part of something bigger. A family. And I found that with them.  

As Angama’s North American Business Development Manager, I get to be a storyteller. I spend my days sharing the beauty and magic of our three very different properties with travel advisors across the U.S. and Canada. 

I help people understand what makes Angama — and Africa — so special. It’s not just emails and PowerPoints; it’s conversations, connections, and inviting them to experience it all for themselves through something we call FAM trips. These Familiarisation Trips allow advisors to truly understand because no matter how good the photographs or how compelling the stories are; nothing prepares you for the real thing. You have to feel it.

My first trip to Kenya in 2023 was unforgettable. Surreal, even. I thought I knew what to expect. I didn’t. Nothing prepares you for your first safari. Seeing animals in their natural habitat with endless space was one of those pinch-me moments you never forget. But the wildlife and landscapes were just the beginning.  

There’s a saying in the industry: ‘People come to Africa for the animals, but they return for the people’. I can’t think of a more accurate statement. The Angama team left such a deep mark on my heart. When it came to leave, I cried like a baby. And if I’m being honest, I still cry every time. That emotional connection isn’t something you can manufacture; it’s real, and it’s rare, and I get to tell that story halfway across the world.  

Africa — Kenya — has its claws in me now in the best possible way. So much so that I chose to honour that connection in a permanent way: with a tattoo. The word Ubuntu now lives on my skin. An African philosophy that means ‘I am because you are’. To me, it perfectly captures the spirit of Kenya and what this journey has meant to me. It’s a daily reminder of the power of human connection, community, and the importance of carrying that spirit with me wherever I go. 

From athlete to storyteller, from the U.S. to the Mara, this path has been unexpected, but it’s been the most fulfilling adventure yet. And I will continue to tell the story of Africa, Kenya, and Angama, long after my final departure from the lodges.