u/VirginiaOnSafari

One of my favorite things about this trip was just how well-rounded it was.

Two best friends, first trip to Africa, and a milestone birthday to celebrate. They wanted wildlife, but they also wanted to experience more than just sitting in a safari vehicle for two weeks.

We started in KwaZulu-Natal at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa and an incredibly important place in the history of southern white rhino conservation. Today’s southern white rhinos can trace their ancestry back to the population that survived here. There’s something pretty extraordinary about standing on that ground and knowing its history.

Then we completely changed gears and headed to the Indian Ocean for a few days of absolute barefoot luxury. Miles of undeveloped coastline, beautiful beaches, and waking up to that Indian Ocean view—which is about as perfect a way to start the day as I can imagine.

Then came Zimbabwe. During our initial planning they told me they wanted “adventure, but not too much adventure.”

So I put them in a tent.😂

Granted, their “tent” had hardwood floors, comfortable beds, an en suite bathroom, dressing table and closets.

They had traditional game drives, experienced wildlife from the water on river cruises, and then visited Victoria Falls.

We finished in Soweto, visiting Nelson Mandela’s former home and the Apartheid Museum.

That, to me, is a well-rounded African safari.
Wildlife. Conservation. Bush. Ocean. History. Culture. A natural wonder of the world. And just enough adventure without sacrificing comfort.

I love a traditional wildlife safari, but Africa is so much bigger than game drives. Especially for a first trip, I love combining completely different experiences so you come home having seen more than Africa’s wildlife—you’ve experienced a little of what makes it so incredibly extraordinary.

Just some snaps I captured in the Tuli Block of Botswana, with my brand new Canon, learning as I go.

I had the honor to be on the ground in Zululand, South Africa, with a veterinary conservation team during a cheetah collaring. The collaring was part of a planned relocation of two brothers to new territory, helping prevent inbreeding and maintain genetic diversity within the population.

While the cheetah was safely immobilized, the vet talked us through the entire process and, under veterinary supervision, we were able to participate - checking vital signs, taking genetic samples, examining his teeth and paws, and learning what the team was looking for throughout the procedure.

I’ve seen plenty of cheetahs in the wild over the years, but being this close during an actual conservation operation was completely different. You realize just how lean and specialized they are - this entire animal is engineered for speed.

What made the experience even more meaningful was knowing that the money we contributed went directly toward making this operation possible.
Managing cheetah populations isn’t simply about protecting individual animals. In fragmented wild areas, conservation teams also have to think about genetics, bloodlines, territory, and moving animals between populations when necessary.

I’m incredibly lucky to work in the conservation industry and to have opportunities to work alongside conservationists and veterinary teams doing this kind of hands-on work. I don’t just get to hear about what conservation looks like - I occasionally get to roll up my sleeves and participate in it.

It’s incredibly rewarding work.

I had just experienced one of the most life-changing spa treatments of my life. Walking back to my room to get ready for dinner, I opened the door and thought they were piping relaxing music through the speakers.

Then I noticed the invitation on my desk: live music and cocktails poolside, right on the beach.

I stepped onto my patio and it was surreal. Looking snazzy for dinner took a back seat — I followed the music almost hypnotically. Pure magic. One of the most beautiful experiences of my life.

I recorded this interview on the 9 month anniversary of my facelift, catching up with my surgeon over video call — hearing him walk through the actual anatomy and decisions behind my result was fascinating, and I wanted to share it here since I know a lot of people in this sub love the technical side as much as I do.

There was a LOT more involved than "pulling everything up." He talks about rebuilding and sculpting my jawline, repositioning my buccal fat pads, addressing my parotid glands, reducing my submandibular glands, and using the deeper structures of my face and neck to create shape and definition.

One big thing I learned through this whole process: how individualized this surgery really is. What needed to be done on my face and neck was based on my own anatomy — not some standard facelift formula.

After documenting all the swelling, the temple buckling, the weird in-between stages, and my very long road back to looking like myself — it's pretty wild to hear the surgeon explain what was actually going on underneath it all.

Nine months later, I'm thrilled with my results. I have a jawline again and my buckling is GONE. 🏆

For transparency: I received no incentive or compensation for sharing my facelift recovery journey.

I visited a reserve in Zululand, South Africa for a few days focused entirely on rhino anti-poaching work. Wanted to share because I think most people don't really understand what dehorning actually involves.

Day one was a briefing with the reserve's Director of Law Enforcement, plus a demo from the anti-poaching K9 unit. Then we visited the rhino orphanage — tough but important to see the other side of this fight, i.e. what happens to the survivors.

Then came the actual dehorning. A few things that surprised me:

**•	It's not permanent or harmful** — rhino horn is keratin (same as fingernails), so it grows back. Dehorning has to be repeated periodically.

**•	It's done under vet supervision** with the rhino fully sedated, and they leave a safe portion at the base.

**•	The logistics are intense** — helicopter spots the rhino, ground teams move in, everyone has a defined role. Felt like watching a military operation.

**•**	In our case, the vet spotted from the air that one of two rhino running together had an injured foot. That rhino got picked for dehorning *and* treatment — they cleaned the wound and gave antibiotics while it was under.

The team explained that removing the horn is one of the more effective ways reserves have found to cut the incentive for poachers, since a rhino without a horn just isn't worth the risk to them.

Anyway — genuinely eye-opening to see how much manpower, training, and risk goes into keeping these animals alive. Happy to answer questions if anyone's curious about visiting a reserve doing this kind of work.

The spa was outstanding, and the gardens are breathtaking, with fire pits glowing along the beach as the sun sets over the ocean.

Heading back to my room after an absolutely incredible spa experience, I was hypnotically drawn by music I could hear in the distance — live, being performed, not just played. It felt like living in a dream.

The service, though, is what truly set this place apart. We were greeted with a bouquet of fresh flowers the moment we stepped off the transport vehicle. Staff who remembered our water preference so we never had to ask for still or sparkling twice. It’s those small details — the ones you don’t expect — that make all the difference.

Beach service, also outstanding. They kept the champs cold and coming.

Not the most accurate before and after, but it’ll have to do. 😊

The “before” was taken at my surgeon’s office the day before my facelift — no makeup, clinical lighting, showcasing all the laxity and facial volume loss that had developed over the years.

The “after” is a selfie by the pool taken 7 months post-op, with tinted sunscreen, mascara, a slight smile, my chin tilted down a bit, and completely different lighting. So it’s definitely not an apples-to-apples comparison.

One thing that surprises me is how much more open and prominent my eyes look. I never expected that to be my favorite part of the entire result, but here I am swooning.

I couldn’t be happier with my results. It was a big decision, a long recovery, and absolutely worth it for me.

My procedures included a deep plane facelift, deep plane neck lift, submandibular gland reduction, lower blepharoplasty, CO₂ laser resurfacing around the eyes, fat grafting, perioral rejuvenation, parotid repositioning, and buccal fat pad repositioning.

I swear, time is a thief!

For transparency: I receive no compensation, discounts, free services, or other incentives from my surgeon for sharing my facelift recovery content. I paid for my surgery myself and share my experience simply because I had such a hard time finding detailed, real-life recovery information when I was researching mine.

Currently a few days into a stay at this five-star resort in Grand Baie, Mauritius, and had to share while it’s fresh.

The service here has been beyond excellent — the kind of attentive-but-not-hovering staff that anticipates what you need before you ask. Had cocktails on the beach yesterday, and this is genuinely one of those places you never want to leave — turquoise water, sun going down, zero rush from anyone.

Day two is in the books! 🇱🇸🏔️

Today we crossed into Lesotho and tackled the legendary Sani Pass — definitely one of the most extreme 4x4 adventures I’ve ever experienced.

Our little convoy climbed its way up the wild mountain switchbacks with no problem, eventually reaching the top and the famous Highest Pub in Africa.

And after a day like that? A sweet mountain lodge, cozy fireplaces, and a warm place to settle in for the night couldn’t have been more perfect.

What. A. Day. And we’re just getting started. What a wild, wild life!

Absolutely loved this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ guest house I discoverd last month. It sits at the base of Table Mountain in Cape Town. Here’s a reel, so bright and airy!

Sitting quietly with this young female cheetah as she enjoyed the spoils of her day.

She’s a relatively new arrival here, part of an exchange with another reserve to help diversify cheetah genetics. The tracking collar she’s wearing is temporary—giving the conservation team a way to keep tabs on her while she settles into her new territory.

And for us? No telemetry. No tracking equipment. Just a Land Cruiser, good eyes, and one hell of a sighting.

Watch her closely and you’ll notice how often she stops eating to look up and scan her surroundings. Cheetah may be extraordinary hunters, but out here they have to remain incredibly alert. Lions, hyenas and leopards all pose a threat, and she knows it.

A reminder that even a beautiful predator can spend a lot of its life looking over its shoulder.

Deep plane face & neck lift, lower bleph, submandibular gland reduction, buccal fat pad repositioning, fat transfer, perioral work, and CO2 laser around my eyes.

For anyone following my recovery because you’re considering a facelift—or because you’re currently in the thick of healing—here’s where I was at five months.

The buckling I had from swelling had improved tremendously by this point. It was pretty significant early on, especially around my temples, and I know it worried a lot of people who saw my earlier posts. I’m a major sweller, and my recovery has definitely been slower than some of the recoveries you see.

At five months I still had swelling along my jawline, under my chin, behind my ears, and in my temporal area. It continued to fluctuate depending on what I was doing.
I also still had some numbness, although sensation was steadily returning. Most of the time I didn’t even notice it unless I went looking for it by tapping around my face.

January through March I was traveling and exhibiting my company at trade shows around the country. Long days on my feet, talking nonstop to hundreds of people, travel, flights, eating out, etc. absolutely increased my swelling. It was a pretty dramatic change from sitting at home recovering!

On some of the heavier swelling days, I would occasionally notice tinnitus when I laid my head on the pillow. The pressure from the swelling seemed to trigger it, and it would go away again.

Other than that, I really didn’t have any significant side effects.

By five months my scars were already incredibly difficult to see. My incisions run along the tragus and are tucked into the hairline rather than having an obvious vertical incision in front of the ear.
The fat transfer was still settling at this point, and my face was continuing to change. That’s probably one of the biggest things I’ve learned from this entire experience: five months sounds like a long time, but with a facelift it really isn’t.
I was thrilled with my results at five months, but I was definitely NOT finished healing.

If you’re a slow healer or a big sweller and you’re comparing yourself to someone who looked fabulous at three weeks, don’t. My recovery was measured in months, not weeks.

I’d do it again in a heartbeat. The healing has taken patience, but watching everything continue to settle and improve has made it absolutely worth it.

Sometimes the best lunches don’t require a reservation. 😎

A beautiful view, a well-stocked picnic, and a chance to stretch our legs before continuing on.

When I’m hosting clients, it’s the little details that matter—including making sure dietary requirements are never an afterthought. My gluten-free travelers were very well taken care of.

Nothing fancy. Just good food, a gorgeous setting, and happy clients.
Exactly as it should be.

Another great photo safari in the Zambezi National Park!

I had a deep plane face lift, deep plane neck lift, submandibular gland reduction, buccal fat repositioning, parotid repositioning, lower blepharoplasty, CO2 laser around my eyes, perioral work, and fat transfer.

For me, this was never about trying to look 25 again. I wanted to restore the structure and balance I felt I was losing while still looking like myself.

And recovery was definitely not the effortless two-week transformation social media can make it appear to be.
There was a LOT of swelling, tightness, strange nerve sensations, and plenty of “Is this normal?” moments.

At four months, I was still very much healing and still had noticeable swelling and tightness. But this was also the point when I really started seeing where everything was headed.

I looked like me. Just restored.

I’m now nine months post-op, and the difference between four months and nine months has been significant. I still occasionally swell, especially after flying, a very active day, salty food, or alcohol, and I still have significant tightness. But I’m absolutely thrilled with my results.

I’m sharing the four-month comparison because I think it’s important for people considering a facelift to see the middle of recovery too, not just the dramatic before-and-after photos or the people who somehow look completely healed at three weeks.

Healing takes time. Four months was good.

Nine months is even better.

Brand new camera, learning as I go. Eye level with the watering hole, completely protected inside a shipping container turned photography hide in the Tuli Block of Botswana.

Where can you recommend for more opportunities like these? I am addicted.

THREE MONTHS!

Secondary swelling has calmed down!

I finally don’t feel like I’m touching an inanimate baby doll anymore.
That strange, stiff, rubbery numbness is almost gone, I can actually tell it’s my face now.

But now everything is waking back up, and it’s a completely different kind of strange. There’s the nerve pain, zings and zaps here and there, and the weirdest part is it can feel like something is crawling on my skin… like something’s there when it’s not.

It’s just the nerves coming back online.

They don’t reconnect smoothly, so they misfire a bit at first. My doctor warned me about it, and sure enough, here we are. It’s called paresthesia.

I’m still a bit numb, but the tenderness has definitely taken the front seat. It’s a very bizarre feeling… hard to describe unless you’ve felt it.

I can feel my temples again, under my jaw, behind my ears… all those areas that just felt dead before.

I’m still swollen — especially in my temples — but the buckling I was seeing earlier is definitely improving over time, which has been a huge relief.

And my ears in the winter breezes? I was not prepared for that. They absolutely howl like the wind at my mountaintop home — sharp, immediate pain.

I’ve been staying on top of it with lymphatic massage, using a chilled jade roller, and aggressive manual work.

I feel 100% like myself again physically, which is huge… but healing is still very much happening. It’s just quieter now, and a lot more subtle.

Not scarily swollen anymore… not fully settled either. This is the part I really wish more people talked about.

Before and after at the end!

I receive no incentive or compensation for sharing my facelift journey.