Amboseli National Park

It was one of those journeys that quietly alters the course of your life. The kind that forces you to confront how you’re living, where you’re headed, and most profoundly, what you truly want to become when you finally “grow up.” As I traversed the vast, untamed plains of Amboseli, I found myself wrapped in these questions, their weight settling deeper with each passing mile. It was there, amidst the sweeping landscapes, that I realised the truth I’d long buried — my happiest moments had always been tied to creativity. This epiphany sparked a shift, a new way of thinking about my career, and how I wished to share my vision of the world. It marked a turning point, one that eventually led to the creation of The Emerald Agency, where I could weave my life around storytelling and creativity, where art and narrative became my compass.

When we visited in 2022, Amboseli was still in the grip of a relentless drought. The land bore the scars of it, the park scattered with the remains of animals, their bleached bones stark against the red earth and sparse patches of green grass. Everything seemed worn, frayed at the edges — yet there was an undeniable magic in it all. Amidst the death, there were whispers of life. Birds cutting through the air, newborn hyenas clinging to their mothers, and elephants tracing paths their ancestors had walked for generations. These same paths that we, as intruders, have encroached upon, and yet, they share them with us, with a grace that humbles. There is an ancient generosity in their movements, a silent invitation to witness their world, even as we alter it.

Kilimanjaro’s peak revealed itself to us on several occasions, like an old sage watching over it all. We counted over twenty lions in the span of three days, their presence a reminder of both the power and fragility of the wild. It’s a trip that lingers with me still, its memory woven into the fabric of who I am. The photographs now hang on my walls, a silent testimony to that time, a constant reminder of the journey that changed not just my outlook, but the very way I wanted to live my life.