On the road again...almost

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So, I'm getting ready to get back in the saddle! I'm hoping to be off to Cape Town tomorrow, via the circuitous route of LA to Sydney to Joburg to Cape Town. Assuming that I can get on all these flights. Ah, the joy of traveling standby!

Anyway, between my last update and this one, I've completed my second circumnavigation! From Cape Town I flew to Joburg and on to Perth, Australia, where I visited some family friends for about a week over Easter weekend. The biggest surprise of Perth was warm beaches! I'd gotten so used to the freezing Atlantic in Cape Town that I almost couldn't handle the wonderfully comfortable Indian. With the warmth, however, came the jellyfish, and my friend Jonathan (who had moved from Cape Town to Perth about two weeks before I visited him and his family) got pretty badly stung on one swimming expedition. All in all, however, it was a lovely trip and a very restful time! Much love to the Palmers for being such gracious and welcoming hosts!

Oh, the other thing: I spent two weeks in Kruger national Park before jetting off to Oz, and discovered a newfound love of insects! The coolest moment must have been an encounter with a foot long flying stick insect! Either that, or finding a deadly scorpion at dinner.

Anyway, back to Oz - after a lovely week in Perth, I flew through Brisbane and LA to get home to Denver for a few days, before returning to Chicago for a fantastic spring quarter. And now, after a crazy month, I'm off to work on two research projects in South Africa. I'll (hopefully) split my time between Cape Town and Venda, working both with a professor and on my own research. My two biggest worries at the moment: getting to Cape Town, which has proven to be my biggest non-rev hurdle so far, and being able to drive the manual 4x4 to get to the research camp where I'm working. Oh, and finding somewhere to live in Cape Town. But I really can't wait to see all my Cape Town buds again!

Keep checking for updates, hopefully this time I'll be more faithful with the updates.

Good luck with all your own summer adventures!

-Lauren

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Comments

[Wenda Dueck]

great trip
Hi Lauren, Glad to hear that you got to Jerusalem and had opportunities to see the important sites in that wonderful city. Keep us posted on the rest of your journey. Blessings, Mom