I wanted to take a moment to share something new we’re starting at Refracting Africa.

In 2026, we’re launching a virtual discussion series focused on travel to Tanzania and the broader African diaspora. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while, and I’m really excited to finally bring it to life.

At the end of the day, not all of us are in a place to travel when we want to. Sometimes it’s finances, sometimes it’s timing, sometimes it’s just life. But that doesn’t mean the curiosity isn’t there.

So I started thinking about how we can still create space for people to engage with Tanzania. How we can bring some of that experience into conversation, whether you’re planning a trip or just starting to think about it.

In some ways, we’ve already started doing this. Safari Sip was one of those moments. It was a chance to gather, to experience Tanzania through food and drinks, and to just be in community around it. This feels like a natural next step, just in a different format.

Our first discussion is called Tanzania Travel Reframed, and it really sits at the center of what Refracting Africa is about.

When most people think about traveling to Tanzania, safari is usually the first thing that comes to mind. And it should be. It’s an incredible experience. But it’s also just one way of seeing the country.

There’s also culture, history, everyday life, and the relationships that shape how you experience a place. That’s where the idea of refraction comes in. It’s about looking at Tanzania from different viewpoints, not just the adventure lens.

For this conversation, I’ll be joined by Riley Chervinsky. She has spent years writing about East Africa and has more recently been working directly with local operators in Tanzania. Her work includes time in the Tanga region and with a Maasai women’s collective, so she brings a perspective that is both personal and connected to the people and communities on the ground.

We’re going to talk about our own experiences traveling to Tanzania. What we thought we understood at first, what changed over time, and how those experiences shape the way we think about travel now.

Because the truth is, your relationship with a place like Tanzania doesn’t stay the same. It evolves.

This conversation is really about that evolution. It’s about thinking more deeply about how we travel and what it means to experience a place more fully.

If you’ve been curious about Tanzania, or if it’s been sitting in the back of your mind for a while, I would love for you to join us.

This is the first of three discussions we’re planning for 2026, with additional sessions coming in August and November. I’ll share more on those soon, but the goal is to keep building these spaces over time and expand even further in 2027.

You can find the registration link below.

Register

I’m really excited about this, and I hope you’ll be part of it.

More soon.