Have you ever felt a calling so deep within your soul, that you could not ignore it, and in fact, you found that you were willing to change your life to support your spirit following that calling?

Young Jack did, and he ended up having the adventure of a lifetime --- a soul changing journey to the mysterious and magical continent of Africa.

When I first received “Life Safari,” which is the newest story by John P. Strelecky, the best-selling author of “The Why Café,” I had no idea that it would change my perceptions in such a powerful way! After all, I’ve been a student of personal growth for 20+ years, and work in a holistic environment helping others!

“Life Safari” starts out with a young man named Jack, who has a dream to go to Africa. He saves his money, and goes to Africa, and without much planning on his part, other than the boat ride there, he meets up with an old African woman named Ma Ma Gombe, who becomes not only his guide through Africa, but his guide through life itself.

Jack and Ma Ma Gombe have many adventures together, and she teaches Jack about the Big Five For Life, which are the five things that we are so passionate about, our life will just not be complete unless we at least try to accomplish them!

As they travel through Africa, Jack learns about the importance of appreciating being in the moment, rather than fearing it (something many of us still struggle with). At one point Jack and Ma Ma Gombe wake up and find themselves surrounded by a herd of African Buffalo. When Jack first wakes, he is frightened (and why not, there were almost a thousand of these eighteen hundred pound creatures grazing near him). But he finds that as he moves gently through the herd, he is mesmerized by the creatures. Instead of being scared to death, he realizes that he is a part of something amazing, and that he is seeing one of the animals that he came to Africa to see.

”Life Safari” is a parable about our own journey through life – the searching, the questioning, and the wondering, about where our path is taking us, complete with lions, elephants and buffalo! I cannot even begin to express how much I enjoyed this book. It’s a very simple read (only 158 pages long), and one of the things that I really liked about it was the quick connection to the characters and to Africa itself. It packs a spiritual punch, without any complications, yet has the easy going flow of a fun novel, so can be highly enjoyed by all ages (I just gave it to my 10 year old to read!).

It’s charming and beautiful, and made me want to find a Ma Ma Gombe of my own! I would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to plot their own course through life, and or wanting to explore their own spiritual nature. Life is a safari. But it’s the journey that makes us who we are, not the destination.