How one OAT grandmother—and a special friend—brought their African adventures home to a second-grade class
By Karen Byrne, 17-time traveler, Petaluma, California
Prior to my most recent OAT adventure—Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari, with a post-trip extension to Rwanda—my 8-year-old granddaughter Kendall asked me to help her with a school project called Flat Stanley. As part of the second-grade curriculum at her school in Texas, the students are asked to decorate a Flat Stanley doll (Kendall renamed hers “Flat Kendall,” after herself), and must give the doll to someone who can bring it with them on a vacation or trip, take pictures, and return it to the student so that he or she can put together a presentation for class on where the doll has traveled.
As luck would have it, the timing of Kendall’s project coincided with my Serengeti adventure, so I had the dolls laminated (one in Kendall’s clothing and another in a safari outfit I made myself), and brought both dolls with me on my journey.
My group of fellow travelers, as well as my superior Trip Leader Zumo, were especially helpful with photo opportunities—whether we were visiting a local school, enjoying game drives, and more. I also kept a journal written by Flat Kendall, and gave this journal and all of the photos I’d taken to Kendall for her school presentation upon my return home.
Below, you’ll find a sample of some of the many images of Flat Kendall (and myself) enjoying our Safari Serengeti trip. Truly, this was one of the best trips I’ve taken, and not only because the trip was thrilling from start to finish, but because I had a silent companion (dolls don’t talk much).
Flat Kendall enjoys an up-close view of a giraffe in Tarangire National Park during an early morning game-viewing drive.
During a morning visit to a Maasai village, Flat Kendall meets a new friend—the first wife of the Maasai chief, pictured here.
“Oma”— Dutch for “grandma” and the name given to Karen by her grandchildren—and Flat Kendall sit in front of their tent watching the sunrise in Serengeti National Park.
Flat Kendall does some light reading during her visit to a local school, supported by Grand Circle Foundation.
Oma (Karen) spends some time with two of the schoolchildren and Flat Kendall in her regular clothes and safari outfit.
Flat Kendall meets the gorilla veterinarian during her group’s trek in Ruhengeri, gateway to Parc Nacional des Volcans, in Rwanda. The vet has held this job for 25 years, and her responsibilities include dispensing medication, giving shots, and more.
(The real) Kendall proudly displays her poster—with all of the images and stories of Oma and Flat Kendall in the Serengeti—for her school presentation.
Encounter the diverse wildlife—and welcoming Maasai villagers—on our Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari adventure.