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Bound For Nowhere

@bound.for.nowhere

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MAK & Owen
Photographers & Filmmakers
10+ Years of full time travel

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When @bound.for.nowhere put together the gear list for their group trip to Namibia, HEST made the cut. Seeing a whole crew of travelers bring our pillows and Seat Cushions halfway around the world made our day. Thanks for bringing us along, Mak and Owen!

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August 2026

In our pursuit of visiting all the national parks the United States has to offer, we made a slightly embarrassing discovery; neither of us had visited any of the national parks in our home state of Florida as adults or during our 41 years of marriage! Clearly, it was time to change that.

We set out from LaBelle for a five-day adventure to explore Everglades National Park by boat. Mary Ashley and Owen joined us, making the trip even more special. We stayed at a wonderful Airbnb where we could pull the boat right up to the dock and head out each day to explore.

In the Ten Thousand Islands region, we navigated an incredible maze of waterways and mangrove islands, many held together by the tangled roots of living trees. We also saw some of the shell mounds created long ago by the Indigenous people who lived in the area.

Somewhere between exploring the Everglades and spending three glorious days shelling, I officially discovered my new passion!!! 🐚 #evergladesnationalpark #boating #shelling

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Your first fastpacking trip should feel like an exciting new adventure, not a daunting slog. Here are tips from a fellow beginner for how to keep the challenge enjoyable.

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Stories from Namibia 🇳🇦
Feeling inspired to capture moments through a lens
📸 Shout out @bound.for.nowhere for the sweetest mems

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Respectfully, We’re Still Summering. ⁣
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Some moments from Kini The Cheesy Poof’s First Car Camping Adventure!!! She’s a natural and we are very proud. 🐱🧡🏕️⁣
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#vwt3camper #vanlifeadventures #vw #camperliving #westfaliacamper

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NAMIBIA — POST 8 OF 8: PLANTS, TEXTURES & GOODBYE 🌿🇳🇦

There isn’t always a lot of green in the desert, especially during the winter, but there were still plenty of interesting plants to discover. The dry creek beds, rugged terrain, and petrified wood at the Petrified Forest added even more texture to the landscape. I enjoy photographing plants and flowers in the places we visit. The Seek app is so helpful in identifying what I see along the way.

If you ever want to learn about a truly crazy plant, look up the Welwitschia! We saw several at the Petrified Forest that were estimated to be 200–400 years old. There is reportedly one near Swakopmund that is around 1,000 years old! A Welwitschia grows only two leaves throughout its lifetime. They continue growing, splitting and twisting until they look almost like sculpted metal. Such a fascinating plant!

Finally, as our time together drew to a close, it was sad to say goodbye as everyone made their way home or continued their travels to other countries. It is challenging to bring together strangers and hope to have a cohesive group, but that is exactly what happened. They were wonderful travel companions and I am so grateful for the memories we made together.

My hat is off to TrovaTrip and Intrepid for planning such an incredible adventure and for giving us the best guide, Johannes; driver, Fitz and cook, Amo!

Until next time, Namibia! 💜

#Namibia #Welwitschia #UntilNextTime

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NAMIBIA — POST 7 OF 8: ELEPHANTS, RHINOS & BUFFALO 🐘🦏🐃🇳🇦

If you know me at all, you know I am a huge fan of elephants, so it’s safe to say they were one of the biggest highlights of this trip!

We saw so many elephants at the Okaukuejo waterhole! The first group was very entertaining. Two younger males decided they wanted to play or fight or perhaps a little of both. Eventually, a much older male, who was trying to have a drink in peace, stepped in and broke them up. Boys will be boys, no matter the species! 😂

The next group of elephants were especially memorable because they appeared to include three generations: older females, adolescents and babies. This group was much calmer and seeing a baby elephant was such a treat! We watched the elephants slowly make their way from the dense treeline toward the water as the other animals quietly moved aside.

We also watch a lone rhino in Etosha National Park. He was asleep in a field before slowly waking up and taking his time walking toward the waterhole. He knew we would wait! What a massive creature with a face only a mama could love. 🦏

Then, at Waterberg Plateau Park, the Cape buffalo marched into a waterhole as though they owned the place, and they pretty much did! The massive bulls had impressive horns and the baby buffalo were so cute. I loved watching the giraffes, springbok and guinea fowl mind their own business and move aside as the buffalo filed in.

Watching a waterhole is like watching a carefully choreographed dance. The animals seem to know exactly who had priority which changed based on who has arrived. It was absolutely fascinating!

#Namibia #AfricanWildlife #ElephantLove

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NAMIBIA — POST 5 OF 8: NAMIB-NAUKLUFT NATIONAL PARK & SANDWICH HARBOUR—WHERE SAND MEETS THE SEA 🌊🏜️🇳🇦

I don’t even know how to describe the dunes we saw in Namib-Naukluft National Park. I definitely wasn’t prepared for this experience!

We set out in a 4x4 and drove up, down, and around enormous sand dunes; approximately 400 feet tall. It was a little scary at times, but so much fun! For miles and miles, we were surrounded by some of the most beautiful dunes you could ever imagine, cascading dramatically into the Atlantic Ocean.

Sandwich Harbour, below the dunes, is a narrow strip of beach that is literally “sandwiched” between the towering dunes and the crashing ocean waves. It is easy to see why this is known as the place where the desert meets the sea!

We ran down the dunes with the wind whipping around us and were met at the bottom with a yummy lunch. What an experience—and one I will never forget!

#Namibia #SandwichHarbour #WhereTheDesertMeetsTheSea

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NAMIBIA — POST 4 OF 8: LANDSCAPES 🏜️🇳🇦

The landscapes of Namibia do not disappoint! Around every turn, there seemed to be another breathtaking view.

We saw the striking red dunes on our way to Dune 45 and sunrises and sunsets that lit up the sky every day. In Namib-Naukluft National Park, we explored Deadvlei; a white clay pan filled with the dark skeletons of camel thorn trees that died roughly 900 years ago after shifting dunes blocked the river’s water supply. The contrast of the white clay, black trees, red dunes, and blue sky was almost unreal!

We experienced the vast salt pan of Etosha National Park and the wildlife drawn to the surrounding waterholes, as well as the foggy but quaint town of Solitaire. One of my favorite landscape photos includes springbok in the foreground. A perfect reminder of the thousands of springbok we saw throughout Namibia! We hiked through the rocky landscape of Twyfelfontein to see ancient petroglyphs and admired the iconic acacia trees in Etosha National Park.

From the towering dunes and endless salt pans to the ancient trees and rock engravings, every part of Namibia’s landscape was absolutely stunning!

#Namibia #NamibianLandscapes #AfricanAdventure

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NAMIBIA — POST 3 OF 8: SIGNS, BIRDS & SEALS—LAND AND SEA 🦩🦭🇳🇦

In Walvis Bay, we saw both pale and bright pink flamingos. Fun fact: In Namibia flamingos get their pink coloring from pigments in the algae and small crustaceans they eat. The more of those pigments they consume, the pinker they become. Weird and fascinating, right?

Our group started the trip with only two dedicated “birders”, MAK and Owen, but by the end, we had a whole truckload of serious bird lovers! 💜 My favorite was the beautiful lilac-breasted roller. Owen also spotted the bird at the very top of his “need to see” list: the Secretary Bird, which uses its powerful legs to stomp its prey. We saw many other birds along the way, including the guinea fowl who were everywhere we went and are known as the “chicken of Namibia!” 🐓

We got much closer to the seals than I ever expected! That was such a fun and unforgettable surprise.

The signs speak for themselves and some definitely made me chuckle! Of course, Nikko and I had to take a picture together at the Tropic of Capricorn sign because we were the Capricorns of the group! ♑️

#Namibia #LandAndSea #AfricanAdventure

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NAMIBIA — POST 2 OF 8: CAMP LIFE 🏕️🇳🇦

We pitched tents for eight of our 13 nights in Namibia and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I loved our little tent and truly enjoyed camp life.

Most of our meals were made fresh at camp and sometimes on the side of the road. Our contribution was always to wash the dishes and to always be ready to go when Johannes called out, “Lets move it, move it!” 😂

Camp life also came with some unforgettable visitors. Elephants wandered through one camp. Check out the size of that elephant footprint! Another day we woke in the middle of the night to zebras grazing behind our tent and, at yet another camp, we had to protect our belongings from roving packs of baboons that would steal anything that wasn’t nailed down!

We enjoyed spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Because it was winter in Namibia, each night we gathered around the campfire to share our “high, low, and nugget” from the day.

Lastly was our truck which became our second home! It carried us, our bags and all our provisions needed to sustain us throughout the trip. The truck also treated us to a complimentary “Namibian massage” as we traveled over endless corrugated dirt roads! 😂

Every part of camp life was an adventure and all of it was absolutely amazing!

#Namibia #CampLife #AfricanAdventure

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NAMIBIA — POST 1 OF 8: THE PEOPLE 🇳🇦

July 2026

Mary Ashley (MAK) and Owen of @BoundforNowhere facilitated a trip to Namibia, which was put together by TrovaTrip. Thirteen people from across the United States met in Windhoek, Namibia, ready to spend the next 13 days traveling together. Most of us didn’t know one another, but that didn’t last long!

We traveled in a large truck accompanied by our support team. We were led by our wonderful guide, Johannes; our driver, Fitz; and our cook, Amo. Together, we hiked up and then ran down Dune 45, saw pink water and flamingos in Walvis Bay, explored Swakopmund where I bought a small elephant table, sailed on the Atlantic Ocean and spent time up close with seals. We viewed ancient petroglyphs at Twyfelfontein, went on game drives in Etosha and Waterberg parks, shopping and eating locally along the way where the Namibian people are so warm and welcoming!

The places were unforgettable, the animals were incredible, but the people were the very special part of this adventure. What began as a group of mostly strangers and became a tight group with so many wonderful shared memories. 💜

More Namibia to come!

#Namibia #AfricanAdventure #TravelMemories

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