5/23
Cheetahs can run up to 70-75 mph. Unfortunately, when we watched the cheetah run today Juba did not run that fast. It was still a very impressive feat to watch. Other than seeing a cheetah run and giving Hammy and Stoffel guinea pigs for dinner, the day was routine.
Again, time out here passes differently. I feel as if I’ve been here for months. Life here has an illusion of of being timeless, but being centered around time. By that I mean we are tied to a strict schedule when it comes to feeding and cleaning to minimize stress for the animals. However, that routine makes the days blur together and your sense of time is skewed.
I’ve noticed that there isn’t a constant feeling of rush, that everything has to happen right now and there’s no time to breath. Out here we’re not burdened with anything but caring for these animals. There’s a sweet simplicity, intermittened with bouts of chaos, that allows me to focus on the duties I have. I don’t have anything else to worry about for the time being. School, one of my top priorities at the moment, is a distant concern. The constant scheduling and planning for a hundred different events is gone. I fall into a mindset that every minute must be busy or time is wasted. The hypocrisy is that I hate feeling rushed, busy or that life is too hectic. I love being here, now, present. I no longer have yesterday and I don’t yet have tomorrow; I have here and now.
