There is a really big bright spot to all of OMS rejection stuff. I can move forward with my travel plans. Yay! J has offered, as a graduate school graduation present, to pay for our trip to Africa. I was really really worried about it because our plan it to go December '12/January '13 for a month. Maybe like the 2nd week of December to the 2nd week of January or some variation of. If I would've gotten or been in the process of getting the job with the FS, I wouldn't have been able to go. But, now I can. Yay ^2. So, yep! I'm going to Africa. Cool, huh?
There are a couple of reasons why I'm a little nervous. A month long trip is very stressful to plan, I should know I did it for my Thailand. It takes an endless amount of time to plan, interviewing travel agents who are experts in the region, researching things to do for the season and period that we're going to be there, and most of all, dealing with yours truly. I am a certified travel snob, I can't help it. I've traveled extensively and I've stayed in hostels, to low budget places, to 6 star hotels. I know what I like and I'm at the age where I'm allowed to stay where I like. J has also decided that he wants to plan the trip all by himself. *clutches pearls*. There are many reasons why this is a problem. 1. He's a man. 2. He's never really traveled before 3. He is currently dragging his you know what about it all. *sidebar: he is also going at a snails pace about going to a zumba class, but I'm not saying anything about anything*. I know he reads my blog, so....."dude, get the lead out and get with it". 4. He's a man and he will probably wait until the last minute.
We've chosen South Africa because it's South Africa. There is also excellent SCUBA in Mozambique. The safari site is TBD, that is his job. Ahh! There's so much to do and see. How will I be able to fit it all in? I've given him my list; he knows what I want to do, now it's just up to him. Will I have to stay in a tent on a safari? Will the tent have air conditioning? I guess I'll have to be one with nature as it is a safari and most people can only dream about trips like this much less actually go on one. When I think about it like that I can do it...if I have to...I think. If I can smell like elephant for days on end, I can stay in a tent for a couple of days. When in Rome....
Most of all, I'm excited to experience the different countries I will be visiting. I really want to experience the Maasai culture, but they only live in Kenya and Tanzania. My only reference I have is what I have seen on tv. I can remember going to see Sarafina on Broadway when I was younger and watching the movie "Cry Freedom" with my mom. I also remember driving to school on the morning Nelson Mandela was released from prison. I am excited see everything. I feel like there is always so much negative press about Africa, in general. HIV and AIDS, hunger, the situation in Libya, Sudan, and Congo are all so important and the world needs to know about them, but there is an untapped beauty that many people don't now about it. I can't wait to see it for myself!
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