Catch up

I think my frequency of blogging is directly correlated to my level of excitement about my current activities. Notice that I didn’t blog once when I was in South Africa. Actually, that’s a little unfair. Part of that was that I was just frantically busy.

I have learned a new lesson – don’t mix business with pleasure, at least not on business trips. I ended up running around all day to meetings, typing up notes and planning for the next day in the evenings and still trying to socialize. It was definitely too much, but I did get a heavenly 24 hours of rest on Penny and John’s farm. My aunt and uncle are part owners of a game conservancy 30 minutes outside of Johannesburg. They recently established themselves as a dinner, bed and breakfast game lodge, and I was spoiled staying in one of their romantic canvas tent under thatch (www.butjanilodge.co.za). The complete silence of the night was only disturbed briefly by the calls of the jackals, the snorts of the wildebeest, and the hooting of the owl. In the morning, I enjoyed their outdoor shower (despite the chilly temperatures) and got to birdwatch while showering.

I also did get a chance to catch up with a few friends. I spent my 30th birthday attending a conference, but in the evening I went to dinner with the mother and aunt of one of my dearest friends. I also got to see my former host sister (who stayed with my parents in Hornell, NY – poor her!) and her boyfriend.

I arrived back at my home at the Ryalls Hotel in Blantyre Malawi completely exhausted and ready to go back to my real home. That first night I slept 10 hours and when I woke up I experienced that brief panic of not knowing where I was. I knew that I was in a hotel (big surprise there), but I couldn’t remember which one.