By Catherine Camp, 3-time traveler, Sacramento, California
If you told me a phone call would lead me to Egypt, I would tell you that you’re quite mistaken. However, that call not only took me on an unforgettable adventure, but was also the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
I’ve always dreamed of traveling to Egypt to view the mighty Pyramids—and have shared these desires with many of my co-workers. But I was still surprised when my colleague Vicki Smith called to ask if I’d like to travel with her to Egypt. She planned to visit the country with one of her friends, who couldn’t make the trip, so she needed another traveling partner. Since she’d heard through the grapevine about my dream of visiting the ancient monuments—and although we only knew each other as co-workers—she thought I’d be the perfect choice.
Catherine enjoys the view of the awe-inspiring Sphinx.
So I packed my bags and joined Vicki on our adventure to Egypt—where we not only discovered the magical history of the country, but also a special friendship.
Vicki and I learned that we shared a fondness for petroglyphs (rock engravings) and with that, our close relationship began to develop—and deepened with each new adventure we encountered. Vicki encouraged me when I was hesitant to try new things: I was petrified when our Trip Leader told us we had the opportunity to ride a camel. There was no way I was climbing that high onto the wobbly creature. But Vicki said, “You’re going to be really sorry if you don’t do this, Catherine. When you get back home and look at your photos, you’re going to wish you had done it.” And Vicki was right. So I took a deep breath, and up I went. And you know what? I had a wonderful time!
Catherine and Vicki discovered they had many similarities—which helped to develop their close relationship.
This was only one of an entire collection of memories from my special moments with Vicki. Upon learning exciting work news from my husband back at home on the last night of our journey, Vicki helped me find several bottles of Champagne in Cairo (an almost impossible feat since Cairo has such a large Muslim population, and therefore, alcohol is forbidden). But we worked together and were successful—allowing us to celebrate the wonderful news with our fellow group members.
Since returning from Egypt, Vicki was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Although it’s been a difficult time, I’ve been a part of this journey with her … and thanks to our trip to Egypt, we're no longer just co-workers—we're also friends.
Explore ancient sites—and unforgettable transportation options—on our Cairo & the Eternal Nile River Small Ship adventure.