Well, I leave for Port Elizabeth in exactly TWO WEEKS! It's funny to see all of my friends going back to school in the next few days and I still have a few weeks. I have other friends who have already left for their semesters abroad and I'm jealous of their awesome blogs and how they've already started.
To catch everyone up, I have EVERYTHING done except for getting my visa. When I first applied, they said it would take 5-10 days. So, 5 days passed...then 10...then 15...my dad and I finally got in touch with the consulate almost a month after we sent it in. They informed us that they wouldn't even look at my application until a few weeks before my departure date. They said to not worry and it would get to me no later than 3 days before I left...well that's a relief.
Next Challenge:
My life for the next five months has to fit in a suitcase and weigh less than 50 pounds. This is definitely possible but it will be tough. It's a little hard for me to concentrate on South Africa while I still have other travel plans first. I'm sitting here in Austin, TX at the end of a trip. We go home tomorrow. The next day, I'm driving up to Stout to say hello and goodbye to all of my school friends. After all of that, I can think about what to bring for next semester.
I'll end with this quote that, in my mind, sums up my past weeks and near future:
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." - Robert Louis Stevenson
