Though adventuring through each surreal and wide-open landscape left a lasting impression on me, it was Thomas Mpande - my driver/friend/guide extraordinaire - who was the vessel that truly enriched the entire experience. Fluent in six languages (English, Portuguese, Afrikaans, Gangela, Rukwangali, and Oeambo), Thomas was incredibly sharp and had in-depth knowledge of all things Namibia. His great sense of humor also made him a fun travel companion,. especially as we navigated the best parts of Namibia together: its culture. When we first met, I expressed my genuine interest to expose myself to his version of Namibia, not just the one sold to visitors. Where does he shop? What does he eat? How/where does he spend his free time? I wanted to see it all. I was also very intrigued by both the Himba and Herero tribes and had high hopes to gain more insight into their history, culture, and lifestyle. Since I had a very limited amount of time (realistically, there's only so much one can do/see/experience in ten days), Thomas encouraged me to focus on delving deeper into the neighborhoods within Windhoek as opposed to other regions we explored; where I would end up getting much more than I could have hoped for.