Hello, my name is Leah Reeves. I am a rising junior marketing major from Dallas, Texas. In addition, I am a setter for the Howard Volleyball team.

Our day today began at six in the morning for a a very exciting safari. We drove through the safari to see animals like lions, giraffes, antelope, elephants, and more. Because we had begun so early we were also able to see the sun rise before anything else which was so beautiful. The sun rise was off the water with greenery and a family of baboons. We were able to see baboons of all different ages and sizes and was even able to see them cleaning each other.

As the sun rose more and more, animals came out to eat breakfast and start their day. We learned fascinating facts about animals diets and how to read their tracks and which way they are heading. That is how we found some of the animals that we had been hoping to see the whole trip. Because the animals day was just starting their day, we were in the prime of when we would be able to see some of the "big five" animals of Botswana. That includes lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffalo.

After a few hours of viewing the safari, we decided to stop for a stretch break. At this stop, we saw more baboons, but closer than we had see before. We knew before the stop to not feed or touch them because they would bite, but they had a plan of their own. While some of us were walking and taking pictures, they had decided to jump in and on our trucks to look for food. They ended up snagging some oreos and candy before we left while everyone was screaming and running. That was clearly our sign to get back to riding and seeing the animals.

As we got back into the car and rode around enjoying the sun and view of the safari in full brightness. We had communicated early that we wanted to see a lion before we had left, so our guide made it a priority to find a lion before the day was over. As soon as our guide heard that the lion was awake and making its way to the river, we decided to head that way. We saw a female lion walking and looking for prey through the trees and brushes. Many of us were able to get a clear shot for her.

Although we were able to see elephants the day before we were excited to potentially see the elephants up close to really evaluate their size. Luckly, we fortunate enough to see a herd crossing not only once, but twice on the drive. There were almost twenty elephants that crossed right in front of our trucks. Many of us believe that was a life changing experience to be that close to those elephants. Even though waking up early and being out there for so long was hard, it was completely worth it to see that.

We spent the rest of the day bonding and enjoy the rest of our time as team at the market and by the pool. We spent hours laughing, talking, and listening to music before dinner to recap our time in Botswana. Lastly, we enjoyed a candle lit dinner at a restaurant where we thanked those of Botswana that we gracious enough to help us navigate their beautiful country.