Holidays

Sorry for being a little MIA it's been a crazy past few weeks. I spent the holidays traveling with other volunteers and even got to experience a new holiday, Hanukkah!

For Christmas I went down to Lobatse, which used to be the capital of Botswana. It's a small town, set in the hills and reminded me a lot of home. The most Christmasy things we did was listen to Christmas music and sip hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows. I also got to skype with my family on Christmas Day. Since I was in a bigger village I was actually able to get some clear video for once. It was nice to see all their faces. I am happy that next year I will get to spend Christmas with them!

After Christmas I headed over to Kumakwane to celebrate Hanukkah. It was neat to learn about the Jewish traditions and eat some of the food that goes along with the celebration. 

lighting the menorah

yummy food!

 I then headed down to Cape Town with a large group of volunteers. It was great to get out of Botswana and be back in a metropolis. Cape Town is know as the "New York of South Africa" and it definitely deserves that name. It was nice to be back in a big city, complete with great food, buildings taller than a few levels, lots of things to do, and a huge night life. I spent the week eating everything from McDonalds to Sushi to Mexican to Ethiopian food, and it was glorious! I have not regrets in how much I indulged my palate in the wondrous variety of flavors these foods brought. I also got to go on a wine tour through the Stellenbosch Vineyards and enjoy some fine wine and cheese. OHHH the CHEESE!!! I spent a day relaxing on  a beach and even got into the frigid water in Camps Bay, just to say I did swim in the ocean. I went out and stayed out past my normal bed time (10pm). This was a nice relief. I rarely get to go out to the bars like I used to pre-Peace Corps Service, because a young single woman at a bar in Machaneng (or most of Botswana besides GABS) just spells all kinds of chastising and trouble. I got to see some African penguins which were soo cute!  I also got my thrill junkie fix by going shark cage diving!  Although there was no ball drop on New Years Eve, we were able to bring in 2012 at a ministry of sound electronic music festival and danced in the New Year until the sun came up! I am also pleased to say that my first meal of 2012 was in fact McDonalds! I'm Lovin It! I had a wonderful time on this trip and would love to go back to do some of the things I didn't get to. That will probably have to wait until I am a real person, with a real job, and a real salary, and making real money. Haha!

mmm Sushi! Don't worry I didn't eat all of this myself, I split it with another volunteer.

apple pies!!

getting ready to jump in the cage!

dahda, dahda, dahda, dahdadahdadahdadahda (jaws song)

yep I was in that cage!

wine country!

one of the many tasty wines I got to try

Ethiopian food! One of my new favs

all ready for NYE!

Dance Party Time!

Camps Bay = Really crowded + freezing cold water. But I still got in!

On the water front

View from the Cape Town Castle

It's always hard to come back to the village after a trip. Coming back means going back to work and dealing with the frustrations of daily village life. It's been super hot these past few days and I have found myself longing for the nice air conditioned rooms and stores, and the ocean breeze Cape Town provided.  Coming back also means I am that much closer to being done! Not that this experience hasn't been great, it's just nice to have the end so near in sight. It's crazy to think just 2 years ago I was still waiting on an invite from Peace Corps and now I am almost done! But it is good to be back "home". As great as Cape Town was it was also very tiring! I was exhausted by the time I got back and felt like I was hit by a train or something. Don't know how I am going to survive the go, go, go of the American lifestyle when I am back in the States.

In this 2012 year I didn't really set any resolutions, just some goals for the rest of my service. I hope to finish up my service strong feeling fulfilled and with a job well done. I want keep focused on the here and now and keep in mind what my original goals were when I first joined Peace Corps, and hope to stay true to those over the next 5 months.