At six months old, I crossed the Sahara Desert for the first time, lying in a baby basket secured to the back seat of my parents’ Land Cruiser. From those earliest moments forward, I enjoyed the most unconventional lifestyle imaginable, thanks to my parents Aubine and Michael Kirtley who were photo-journalists for National Geographic and GEO magazines at the time. My older brother Tercelin and I were “home schooled” while floating down the Niger River, trekking in African rain forests, and camping throughout the vast reaches of the Sahel. My fondest memories are of playing with my “best friend” Julia, a baby gorilla in Gambia’s Abuko Nature Reserve.
Abandoning the Baby Camel
Julia the Gorilla, My Best Friend
The Wrestler
The Escorts
Kidnapped!