Season 2 Episode 4 Jacaranda Summerfield
In this episode of In Other Words Podcast, we sit down with Jacaranda Summerfield, a woman whose life reads like an epic--born in South Africa, trained as a barrister, transformed into a bush pilot, farmer, explorer, and the first woman to pass the Zimbabwe Professional Hunter Guides License exam.
Jacaranda shares her remarkable journey across continents and identities:
• growing up under the lavender canopy of Africa’s jacaranda trees
• rejecting the path chosen for her to chase the sky instead
• building an African art business in the U.S.
• returning home to Zimbabwe to raise her children in wild, multicultural freedom
• flying into remote, untouched places in search of artifacts and adventure
• navigating political upheaval, personal reinvention, and the courage to start again
Today, she lives in Santa Barbara surrounded by nature, family and her creature companions—still driven by her lifelong passion for unspoiled places and the stories they hold.
This conversation is a tapestry of resilience, wanderlust, motherhood, and the fierce determination to live life on one’s own terms. Jacaranda’s voice is warm, witty, and unfiltered, offering a rare window into a world few ever experience.
If you love stories of transformation, wild landscapes, and women who refuse to be contained, this episode is for you. Listen, share, and join us as we explore the extraordinary life of Jacaranda Summerfield—in her own words.
