Flash Pack First-Timer: “Tanzania changed my life. I wanted to stay there forever”
A few years ago, I found myself in the midst of a severe depression. I was working as a nurse during Covid, when all travel stopped almost overnight. My trips away were the one thing keeping me sane, and I remember thinking, ‘If someone dropped a bomb on me right now, I wouldn’t be sad.’
Clearly, something had to change. I decided to switch up my job and become a travel nurse, which allowed me to travel all over the States from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest and beyond. That decision saved my career and possibly my life – and then Flash Pack added a whole new, life-changing layer to the experience.
From our first night together, our group felt very connected
It was my friend and fellow travel nurse Marie who suggested the trip to Tanzania. She’d been on several Flash Pack escapes and raved about the group travel set–up. She explained that we would room together but also meet new people at the same time. I said, ‘Oh hell, I’ll do it.’ I didn’t know if I would have another chance – especially since I doubted I was brave enough to go there alone.
From our first night in the Tanzanian city of Dar Es Salaam, our group felt very connected. Although we came from different backgrounds and areas of the world, we were all there with the same purpose: to have a beautiful experience exploring Serengeti National Park, the Okavango Delta and Tanzania’s other highlights. That shared sense of excitement was a great way to start up conversations, in a way that felt natural and unforced.
Our safari experience was straight out of The Lion King. From our Bush Rover Suite, we’d see elephants wandering by yards away from our bedroom balcony. Waking up there each morning to see the sunrise was jaw-dropping. If I could bottle that moment and live in it always, I would.
I also loved those times when we spotted an animal from afar during our game drives. We’d all just take off in our convoy of jeeps, bumping all over the place and hanging on for dear life. If you looked around at that point, you’d see every member of our group with the biggest smiles on their faces.
It was the people of Tanzania that made the trip so unforgettable
There were so many pinch-me moments where I thought, ‘Oh my God, this place really exists.’ The sun shining through the clouds, the sound of hyenas racing through our camp in the early hours. A hippo that drifted right below our mess area as we ate lunch in the Okavango Delta. At night, our group would gather around the campfire with drinks and unpack our day together. We were all full of energy, getting to know one another with open minds and open arms.
The safari was the main part of the trip – but for me, it was the people of Tanzania that made the whole thing unforgettable. When we first drove into Serengeti National Park, groups of children would rush out and wave at our Land Rover. Mbasha, our Pack Leader, explained that they were wishing us well on our journey.
The same happened when we visited the fishing village of Mwaburugu. We were there to get a glimpse of local life and culture for people living in the Okavango Delta. The children there lived in what I’d call poverty, yet they were so secure and confident – running about from house to house and welcoming our group in. Within minutes of arriving, they were holding our hands and escorting us through the village.
I didn’t expect to be so touched by these kids, and their beautiful relationship with the world. It was like nothing I’d seen before. They were so kind and open; in a way you wouldn’t necessarily find back home in the States. That night, I remember sitting next to our guide, Mbasha, who’d chosen the village experience and made it part of our trip. I turned to him and said, ‘Thank you. I had no idea how much I needed this. You’ve really shown me your country.’
There were so many pinch-me moments. I wanted to stay forever
My first group trip with Flash Pack exceeded all my expectations. It just blew everything into the ether. It was one thousand moments that each on their own would have been amazing. To have all of them in one week was indescribable.
As I sat on the plane home, I found myself bawling. The poor woman sitting next to me probably thought I was crazy, but it was a lot to unpack – physically, emotionally, energetically. I had just spent a perfect week with a perfect group of people, on the perfect life experience. Leaving felt like something was missing; like a little bit like my heart had been ripped out. I wanted to stay there forever.
At the same time, I knew the trip and its people had changed me. It was seven days in my life where I felt truly alive, with a smile on my face the whole time. I felt that loss of leaving, but also a sense of, ‘I can do this again’. It won’t be the same dynamic; but I can have another great experience with new people in a different place.
In fact, I ended my time in Tanzania with my own solo trip to Copenhagen and then Iceland. Doing the Flash Pack adventure first – and meeting a whole group of solo travellers having fun by themselves – gave me more confidence to do that. And I’ve already booked another group trip, this time to Turkey. I’m considering Costa Rica for 2026, too.
It was a perfect week: seven days in my life where I felt truly alive
Travel humbles you in the way that nothing else does. It reminds you of how small you are in the world. Life is fragile and the only thing you take with you are your experiences. So, why not experience everything you possibly can?
Bethany Sorensen is a travel nurse from the US state of Idaho. She travelled with Flash Pack to Tanzania.
