It’s 10:00 am on a chilly Monday morning in Ogden, Utah. This morning, as we packed and got ready to leave our friend’s house, we stepped outside in need of some “fresh air”… let’s just say, it was short-lived – you never get used to these temperatures.
We have talked about starting a newsletter for quite some time now and this morning seems like the perfect time to do so.
We stopped by a friend’s business and while Zander is outside loading things we need for the expo this coming weekend, I am hiding from the cold. I guess my surroundings are so inspiring that I just had to put some thoughts on paper.
Our friends have turned their conference room into a South African-themed showroom and we just love it!
It makes us feel right at home and at the same time, it is making me miss home. So, while I wait, I’ll work on the first newsletter for 2024 – better late than never!
So far, this year has been filled with travel and tradeshows. We left our home on January 3rd and traveled to Pretoria, where we said our goodbyes to a few friends and family members. On January 4th we took off from Johannesburg. Little did we know that we were not going to arrive in the USA as soon as we had thought.
Our flight took us to Cape Town first, then Miami, then Atlanta, and from there finally to Denver, where we arrived late afternoon on January 6th. Thankfully, we were welcomed by good friends who made us feel right at home, and we had a few days to get used to the time change before we had our first expo. From Denver, we went to Sacramento to visit friends and attend our second expo for the year.
After the International Sportsmens Expo in Sacramento, we had a few days off and got to spend them visiting friends in Paicines and then Saint George before traveling to Nashville, Tennessee where Safari Club International hosted their 52nd annual convention.
We had friends who traveled from all over to attend the convention and support us and we were so happy to see them all! From Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Kentucky, thank you to every single one who took the time to come and see us! We truly appreciate the support and friendship and we loved seeing you all!
From Nashville, we came to Utah, where we will be attending the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo this coming weekend (15-18 February 2024). Spending time in Utah is always great since we have so many great friends here. We love that we get to see and spend time with many of them, though we sometimes also feel that we don’t have enough time to visit everyone that we would want to.
Being in Utah, we feel a sense of nostalgia… we often think back and talk about our dearest friend, Scott Banasky, who passed away in 2021, may he rest in peace. So many of the amazing people we know today are because of Scott who introduced us.
He and his beautiful wife always welcomed us with open arms. They opened up their house to us and always made us feel right at home. Scott went above and beyond to help us where he could and introduce us to people who were interested in traveling to South Africa.
The very first time we attended the expo in Salt Lake, Scott gave us a spot in his booth. To be honest, without Scott, our business wouldn’t be half of what it is today, which is why we feel tremendously grateful to have known him and called him our friend.
With just 2 more weeks left in the States, we are looking forward to our last expo for the year. So, if you have a chance and are in the area, be sure to come and see us at the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo this weekend.
Until next time – happy hunting!
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