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Welcome
Life’s2Short… a blog full of unlikely stories of hard won insights from two old farts traveling Africa in our old Land Rover… for almost 50 months.
Hope you find a bit of kindling to light the fire of your future adventures.
Discover our Musings on finding adventure and making a difference. Or if you’re just nosey enjoy our Journey Updates.
And No! We don’t want your money. Please, just enjoy and share the gems. That’s enough for us.
Thanks, Russ ;-}) & Margrit {;-)
PS Join the adventure through our email blasts and we’ll send you a gift to sweeten the deal. “4 Critical Gems for Real Life’s Adventures”
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“Life is a grand adventure or nothing.” Helen Keller
Definitely not part of our master plan.
Elephants & Lions in our camp, 1300 nights in a roof top tent, dreadful border crossings, police with automatic weapons, the corruption, the crime, the poverty, and mighty strange politics.
Why do we do it? How did we learn the ropes? Where’s the TV?
For us, it’s the adventure of being together, visiting wild places, experiencing and protecting wildlife, helping wildlife heroes, and living life to the fullest. Real life without the screen.
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Life’s 2 Short
Africa / Life’s Journey
Musings on Life’s2Short
And This is Where You Say… I’m Happy
Happy Is My first encounter with Elder Hatch was a bit of a shock. In 2005, he approached with a hearty handshake and a jolly “How are you?” Quickly, I…
Sorely Amazed Hiking the Drakensberg
The Beauty It’s surreal and has been for the past 5 days. Sitting on a stoop staring at Margrit and the beauty of the Drakensberg Mountain peaks in South Africa,…
How We Built a Tiny House in a Van With our Bare Hands
A Saturday Disaster Panic struck as the transmission filter broke off in my greasy hands leaving a piece behind impossible to retrieve. Now my high hopes of fixing up Dad’s…
How We Built a Tiny House in a Van With our Bare HandsRead More
A Happy Life’s Accumulation of Parts
Impossible Land Rover Fix Phineas struggled with the heavy 5-gallon bucket full of bolts, nuts, screws, and nails. As he set it down he grunted, “You should find what you’re…
No Longer COVID Hermits
Urgency Drives the Day Sitting in camp eating fresh pineapple while enjoying the weather and the birds, I looked over stunned to see our old Land Rover. “Oh, that’s right,…
Overlanding’s Impact on Overlanders
Traveling as Overlanders Changes You This overlanding impact was first noticed in an attitude shift of a younger couple we know. They became overlanders in Cape Town South Africa. Like…
Mountain Storm Spawns Old-Life Crisis
Ominous black clouds boil out of the mountains heading our way. Quickly, we duck under an abandoned Gas Station cover just as the storm washes over attacking the front of…
Finally We’re Brave Enough for Some Zipline Fun in Eswatini
What’s on your bucket list? Don’t know if ziplining was ever on mine, but I do like to challenge myself to be brave. It leads to a happy life.…
Finally We’re Brave Enough for Some Zipline Fun in EswatiniRead More
What Compelled Margrit to Help Save African Wildlife?
What compels us to get out of our comfort zone? Not sure, but here’s what started my journey to help save African wildlife. My Journey to Make a Difference…
What Compelled Margrit to Help Save African Wildlife?Read More
What Happened to a Happy Life? Old Age Crisis Hits Hard
In a few days I turn 69. That’s one year away from 70! Hello Old Age Crisis! Goodbye Happy Life? Suddenly instead of cruising along on auto pilot…. The questions…
What Happened to a Happy Life? Old Age Crisis Hits HardRead More
Not Happy Wife, Happy Life… But Happy Life, Happy Wife
As I came up to the camp faucet a guy was just rinsing his dishes. Knowingly, I said, “I guess it’s your turn this morning, isn’t it?” With a twinkle…
Not Happy Wife, Happy Life… But Happy Life, Happy WifeRead More
Still the Love of My Life After 46 Years
It was a glorious Temple ceremony followed by an interesting celebration breakfast. Then the fun of rescuing our little car from those making sure everyone knew we were newlyweds. Finally,…
The Top Life Changing Question
My Pivotal Life Changing Question During one of those reflective moments in 2009, I found myself asking, “What would I regret most if I died tomorrow?” Hmm! Life is good!…
A Bucket List Or a Full Bucket Life
Love Life Often, after a glorious African sunrise and a simple camp breakfast, I lean back, take a deep breath, and tell Margrit… “I Love Our Life!!!” I hope you…
Living in our Land Rover & Loving it
Your life is good You have enough money for your needs. So why on earth would you want to live in your car for six months a year… especially if…
Over Sixty: Risks of traveling Africa in an Old Land Rover
Traveling Africa over sixty has its challenges that’s for sure, but then so does sitting on the couch watching too much TV. Happy life. Life is good. Love your Life.…
Over Sixty: Risks of traveling Africa in an Old Land RoverRead More
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose”.”
- – Dr. Seuss
Africa / Life’s Journey Updates
Unexpected Company on our Morning Bush Walk
We’d been told about the three hand raised rescues, but we’d not expected them to join us on our morning bush walk. Life is full of surprises. We’re at…
The Great Reward: Our First “Watch and Enjoy” Leopard Sighting
A Real Leopard Sighting! After years of visiting reserves in southern and eastern Africa… finally we get to watch and enjoy a leopard. Over the years it’s just been…
The Great Reward: Our First “Watch and Enjoy” Leopard SightingRead More
White Knuckles on a Bad Road in Swaziland Africa
Treacherous African Roads Already white knuckled, Margrit stared back in disbelief as I excitedly asked, “Shall we give it a go again?” Back in 2014 we were traveling in the…
Traveling Africa is full of Surprises, Like the Day in Kigali Rwanda
“It’s Africa” One of the best things of traveling Africa… its never dull. Everyday is full of surprises and our day in Kigali, the capitol of Rwanda is no…
Traveling Africa is full of Surprises, Like the Day in Kigali RwandaRead More
Bird Video: It’s life’s little things that reach out and ground us
It’s life’s little things, even on a Bucket List Trip in the Serengeti Big Five Park, Tanzania. The Serengeti in Tanzania is a must visit National Park. It’s vast plains…
Bird Video: It’s life’s little things that reach out and ground usRead More
We’re Back Traveling Africa and the Land Rover Started right up!
We’d hummed and hawed. After 3 false starts we’re back traveling Africa in our old Land Rover… that low and behold, started right up! The 30 plus hour journey…
We’re Back Traveling Africa and the Land Rover Started right up!Read More
Weighing the Risks: Spending 30 Hours Flying during a Pandemic
Is it worth it? Six hours at airports and 24 on the plane, weighing the risks. It’s been two and a half years since life has found us traveling…
Weighing the Risks: Spending 30 Hours Flying during a PandemicRead More
Everything Takes Twice as Long Living in a Land Rover
You must have time when living in a Land Rover! You can’t be in a rush. Living in a regular home with the regular conveniences we get used to getting…
Everything Takes Twice as Long Living in a Land RoverRead More
Travel Africa or the COVID Shuffle?
Threat of COVID Traveling Africa Last July within days of boarding our plane for Africa, a major COVID spike in Johannesburg seemed just too threatening. We decided it was better…
We Are On The Road To Travel Africa… Again?!
Back in Time, New Mexico Camped on a knoll surrounded by a massive 40 mile ancient lava flow with mountains rising out of the desert nearby… there is a strange…
Our Bucket List #EpicLandRoverAdventure Playlist
Enjoy the entire Youtube Playlist of our #EpicLandRoverAdventure. What’s on your bucketlist? Enjoy our Youtube Playlist of videos depicting our traveling Africa. Starting from South Africa in the very…
5 Years Traveling Africa in an Old Land Rover
How does one fall into traveling Africa in an old Land Rover? As my head hits the pillow for the 1196th time in a roof top tent on our ‘Land…
Early Morning Game Drive from Skukuza Camp – Virtual Safari Kruger National Park Tour
Our happy life is in Africa. Join us on a virtual Safari. During COVID we’ve learned that life is good where ever we are if we approach life with…
Early Morning Game Drive from Skukuza Camp – Virtual Safari Kruger National Park TourRead More
Take a Virtual Safari through Kruger National Park for a bit of Happy Life
COVID getting you down? Going a bit crazy staying at home? Take a virtual safari with us to spot some beautiful wildlife in South Africa’s famous Kruger Park. Life…
Take a Virtual Safari through Kruger National Park for a bit of Happy LifeRead More
Africa Desert a Wild Place that Goes on Forever
A Wild Place It’s a wild place. A piece of Africa desert this north-eastern section of Namibia. Here Marnus saves Lions. It’s dusty and dry, yet not. There’s tall grass…
Our first Cheetah Sighting traveling Africa in Kruger National Park
For five years we’ve been traveling Africa. I grew up in South Africa. And this is our very first cheetah sighting ever! Absolutely thrilling. The cheetah is the world’s…
Our first Cheetah Sighting traveling Africa in Kruger National ParkRead More
Part 1: Stuck with our Land Rover in the middle of nowhere
Long before we started this journey Russ was concerned about getting stuck with our Land Rover for just this reason. “It’s time to head south, the rains are coming.”…
Part 1: Stuck with our Land Rover in the middle of nowhereRead More
Part 2: Almost the Rest of the Stuck with our Land Rover Story
On Wednesday afternoon we get stuck with our Land Rover in Tanzania, in the middle of nowhere, and by Saturday we’re still in the small remote village. “It must…
Part 2: Almost the Rest of the Stuck with our Land Rover StoryRead More
Part 3: Conclusion of the Stuck with our Land Rover in Tanzania Story
It all began quite suddenly without warning and turned into quite the Stuck with our Land Rover in Tanzania adventure. The entire stuck in Tanzania saga took 14 days.…
Part 3: Conclusion of the Stuck with our Land Rover in Tanzania StoryRead More
Over Sixty: Risks of traveling Africa in an Old Land Rover
Traveling Africa over sixty has its challenges that’s for sure, but then so does sitting on the couch watching too much TV. Happy life. Life is good. Love your Life.…
Over Sixty: Risks of traveling Africa in an Old Land RoverRead More
What Do You Do If You Encounter an Elephant in The Wild
Wild Elephant Too Close Travel Africa for the first time in our old Land Rover we expect to see elephant, but right here? Standing on the ladder with my…
What Do You Do If You Encounter an Elephant in The WildRead More