In the summer of 1985, my husband Tom and I went with another couple to Namibia for our first safari. That was the same year the film "Out of Africa," starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, was released. For my generation, this was the definitive African film. I can still hear the voice of Streep as author Karen Von Blixen as she intones, "I had a farm in Africa ... ".

Being young and naive, I braved the 18-hour flight and safari while six months pregnant with my third daughter. Now, 23 years later and without the stress of impending childbirth, just the thought of the flight is enough to make me think twice. But there's something about Africa that draws you back.

Contributed photos by Tom Harrison (ENLARGE)

Rexanne, six months pregnant, strokes a pet cheetah, named 'Snoopy,' on her first safari in 1985 in Namibia.

(ENLARGE)

A group of Maasai warriors-to-be seeing themselves for the first time as a Polaroid picture of them develops before their eyes.

(ENLARGE)

Maasai women often wear numerous collared necklaces made of intricately worked beads that move rhythmically when they dance.

(ENLARGE)

The Harrison family — Tom, Caroline, Rexanne and Savannah — perched on the edge of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe in 1996.

Our family ultimately went on safari in several countries in Africa between 1985 and 2001. Africa is an expansive continent full of beauty, diversity, history and mystery, and we had many unforgettable experiences: standing atop Table Mountain overlooking the beautiful city of Cape Town, climbing through the lush jungle of Mount Kilimanjaro, exploring the Matopa Hills of Zimbabwe.

There is no way words can adequately describe the sound of a lion's roar as you lie in your tent at night, not knowing exactly where he is, if he has companions or if he's particularly hungry. And it's impossible to describe the majesty of Victoria Falls — one of the Seven Wonders of the World — where we stayed in the storied British Colonial-era Victoria Falls Hotel, one of the top hotels of the world, preserved as if it were still a part of a bygone era.

In the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania we visited the Maasai, a traditionally fierce tribe who still live in the primitive manner of their ancestors. The Maasai are known for their colorful clothing, body paint and rhythmic dance/jump and chant. The Maasai were fascinated with our daughters Savannah and Caroline, who were 12 and 8 at the time. Because the girls were young, the Maasai felt the freedom to touch their hair and skin, which was so different from their own. My husband had the foresight to take a Polaroid camera — remember those? — that took pictures that developed while you watched. With this bit of magic, he was able to take pictures of the young Maasai dressed in black adorned for their initiation to become warriors and show them the first pictures they had ever seen of themselves — or anything else.

My personal favorite place in Africa is the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania. This island lives up to its exotic name. It's one of the Spice Islands and has been one of the world's largest exporters of spices from its earliest inhabitation. The perfume of the spices fills the air, and the sounds of the Arabs' call-to-prayer five times a day remind you of the unique place you are in. Our most memorable lunch was seaside in an open-air restaurant where we watched the dhows drift by with sails aloft. When we returned to our hotel for the night, the Arab guards stood by the entrance in their flowing robes, adding to the very real drama of this island. I will never forget the sound of the waves as I lay in bed with my seaside window open to the Indian Ocean.

Our experiences in Africa were the closest I've ever come to feeling like I was living in a novel. On two occasions we hunted in Zimbabwe with a giant of a man, Con Van Wyk. A descendant of the Dutch colonists, he had killed his first leopard at the age of 8, his first lion at 10, was an ex-rugby player, ex-boxer and had been wounded three times while serving as a paratrooper in the Rhodesian War. He had grooves in his skull from the two lion attacks he had survived. His gusto for life and hunting was inspiring, and his fearlessness reassuring and infectious.

They say everything in Africa has horns, thorns or teeth, and even though the lion is considered king of the jungle, the leopard is the most likely to bloody you. Leopards give no warning growl and come in low and fast when they attack, leaping to your throat while simultaneously unzipping your abdomen with his hind legs and his septic claws. My husband had obtained his own trophy leopards, and I decided to take my chances by hunting an amazingly large leopard that had previously been seen feeding in the area. We climbed up the tall homemade tree stand to wait: and then there he was, like an apparition in the moonlight. His movements were liquid; he never ceased to move. In the low light, I did not feel I had an opportunity to shoot, but the monster cat left me with an unforgettable memory.

I understand how many people feel that hunting is wrong. Managed hunting actually can be beneficial, however, controlling populations to prevent starvation and disease, bringing in money to the people and making the animals a valuable commodity to protect. The elephant that my husband shot in the jungles of Cameroon fed a village of pygmies for a week. The trophies my husband has mounted are on display at our museum, where thousands of school children and others have learned about these magnificent creatures.

Will I ever return to Africa on safari? My 10-year-old daughter, Rebecca Rhone (the child I was pregnant with on our first safari), has turned out to be quite the hunter, having already harvested several deer, an elk and a bear. I think I see another 18-hour plane ride in my future.

Rexanne Harrison is a 1982 East Carolina University School of Nursing graduate who works for University Health Systems at Pitt County Memorial Hospital's Center for Pain Management on Arlington Boulevard. She is married to Tom Harrison and they have three daughters: Savannah, 22, Caroline, 18 and Rebecca Rhone, 10. They live on the Roanoke River near Plymouth and enjoy traveling as a family.