So Here I Am...

---

Friday, May 30, 2008, 10:38 PM

Hokay, so. Here’s the earth…☺ (That one’s for you, Stacey). It’s kinda crazy that, 24 hours ago, I was in the small town of West Boylston, MA, USA, North America, and now I’m, well, on the other side of the world. To be exact, I’m sitting in Perspectives, Apt 1508, Cape Town, South Africa. I could be out with a couple other interns at a club down on Long Street, but I stayed in because I DESPERATELY wanted to write the first entry.

Just kidding…I’m actually pretty tired from the three consecutive flights and have only 40 Rand and one dollar and 25 useless cents to my name. So needless to say, I have plenty of time to write (I’m not promising anything for the rest of the summer…). So, here goes.

I made it to Gate 9 in the Providence airport with two hours to spare (better be safe than sorry, thanks mother ☺), got some quality reading done (if anyone wants a good read: Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult), and successfully made it to Washington. When I sat down at the gate for the SAA flight blahblahblah, I knew I was in for something. I was sandwiched between a group of redneck game hunters (camo, southern drawls and all) and a tourist singularly absorbed in a “Southern Africa” guide book, studying the Safety chapter in particular. Figures that I would be sitting between them too on the plane for the next 16 hours, but there happened to be an empty seat next to me, so it wasn’t bad at all. I love South African Airlines. Each passenger got little travel kits (complete with sexy orange sleep masks, socks, and toothbrush/paste), dinner, “midnight” snack, breakfast, and all the drinks you could want. I maybe got an hour of sleep but I finished my Salem Falls, watched Juno on the seat in front of me (quality movie), and heard my fair share of hunting stories.

We arrived in Johannesburg and of course I got roped into paying a porter to bring me to the right place. Whatever. But I met a girl, Erin, who is visiting her brother at the University of Cape Town. She graduated from Wesleyan last year, and we talked about Barack Obama speaking at this years graduation. We boarded and I’ll probably never see her again. So it goes. Another uneventful flight brought me to a rainy but beautiful night in Cape Town. I was lucky to have all my luggage in tow as I found the person holding the “Connect-123 Internship” sign (I would hate to have that job, it seems so awkward…), and then I was shuttled to the apartment building. I have fifteen flights of stairs to climb (when I feel too ambitious for the elevator), a beautiful view, roommates coming in two days, and a mind that’s shutting down. Maybe I should sleep for a change. I’ll get back to you all soon. Yay South Africa ☺

Random Fact of the Day: I’m six hours ahead of y’all on the east coast.

---

Comments

[Jeff]

Reminds me....
That reminds me of my flight to NZ. I was amazed by everything they give you, after having only exerienced US domestic flgihts where they will exchange your left pinky for a shitty sandwich :-P

[T-ster]

I've been "roped" before T_T
When I went to San Fran a couple months ago, I got off the train from the Airport, and my roommates and I couldn't find the Hotel. For a fee a guy revealed to us that we were right behind the hotel, about ten feet from the back door T_T