This past weekend I experienced the second best day of my life. I grew up with a deep admiration for monkeys. I single handedly supported every elementary school book fair with all of the non-fictional monkey picture books I would buy. I collected monkey everything: journals, stuffed animals, pens, backpacks, Band-Aids. Everything. I loved them so much that I would get genuinely upset knowing that I would never be able to own one. After some time, I couldn’t bear the disappointment and chose another creature to call my favorite: sea turtles. Also great, just not a monkey.

The day in Volta was unreal. I clutched my banana tightly in my hand while I walked through the jungle. I was so excited that I couldn’t keep a steady hand. I was nervous and excited. I didn’t know what to do. I had waited for that day for 21 years, and it was finally there.

Towards the middle of the walk, we all stopped while the guide made a monkey call. A mona monkey jumped down from the canopy and sat on a low branch, staring at me. He caught eye of my banana and jumped right on my shoulder! I know that his stomach drove his actions, but I am going to flatter myself and pretend that we had a connection and he wanted to be my friend. I was so incredibly excited and happy that I almost started crying. My inexplicable joy was unreal.