Highlights of the Highlife

This week has been pretty sweet. I've really enjoyed the time that I've spent with my host family and all the things that we've been able to do this week. These are some of the best:

Petting a baby lion
Going 230m below the surface of the earth
Paying half for all food and drink
Bowling a 195
Learning cricket
Preaching on a train
Holding $250,000 of gold in my hands
Chatting late into the night
Eating lamb and boerworst
Feeding an ostrich
Releasing my inner rhythm
Going on my first inverted roller coaster (and not throwing up)
The last dinner

I like where I am

I'm in Pretoria. Staying with an Afrikaans family which seem to be quite wealthy. They are very friendly and I'm really enjoying sitting around and chatting with them. We had a ridiculously good lunch today and that was after the swim in their pool. I had a beer out in the 30ish degree weather as the meat cooked. It was a braai for lunch which is a traditional South African BBQ. Awesome.

Earlier today we saw a giraffe which was pretty cool. I'm also enjoying the fact that I wake up at 7 in the morning and I'm ready to go. I'm not sure if that is the heat or the 9:30 bedtimes I've been having. I've burned my nose pretty good and the top of my head feels like it got too much sun but that's a trade I'm willing to take.

Tomorrow morning we are going on something called the gospel train. Apparently it is a group of black commuters who all meet in the same car to sing worship songs and have a service. We have a song prepared and I get to deliver the word. Should be a lot of fun!

I have internet for this week so there might be another update or two but after that it will be when I can.

To the Outtatown Site 3 Population

This is the post that is supposed to answer what I said to Outtatown people on that Thursday evening. I started writing a much better blog earlier but frankly I'm not in the mood to finish it. I've had some problems with the last of my packing and I just really want to get to bed. But, I promised that I would answer it somehow so here is what I'm willing to give you...for now.

I told you that I would not miss you. Frankly, I didn't. I told some funny stories of times we had together and some of your names might be known by some folks here but I'm not dying to get back to you. Don't take that personally because I'm not dying to get to anyone right now. If it makes anyone feels better, I pretty much neglected a lot of my better friends here because I generally needed a break from people over Christmas.

Later today I will see you all again. I'm thinking that the airport is going to be pretty crazy. There is going to be a lot of "how's it going?" and "how was your Christmas?". It's going to get old for me after the second time but I'll do it all 37 times with a smile on my face because that's what you do for your friends. Plus, I do not think people would quite understand if I went to plan B: to make a written FAQ of my last five weeks.

Until we meet again...

7 Days til the GREATEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE

The last time that phrase was used it was for high school grad. Now in truth I had a good time at my grad and I would even do it again if I could but the one thing I could do without is the lead up. Ladner has a bit of a tradition of making a little too big of a deal of its only graduation ceremony, I can't imagine many other schools bring in the bag pipes, but the real problem was the girls. Some had dates lined up in grade 10 and most had their magical day all planned out. Luckily, within my group of friends, the girls were pretty tame. No gradzillas but there were enough cameras to synthesize that euphoric feeling.

Grad was not the greatest day of my life and it wasn't even the greatest day of my life up to that point. It represented a period of my life, provided a little symbolism and an excuse for some to dress up. It was fun.

In seven days I board a plan for Toronto, later that evening London and the next day Johannesburg. I'll be the furthest I've been from home, truly overseas for the first time and I'll experience the longest period away from my family. On the other hand it is 24 degrees there right now.

There's been a fair amount of lead up. I haven't seen anyone from Outtatown in a while but most of their facebook statuses have something to do with Africa. I'm assuming the airport is going to be a good time because I can imagine a few of them popping a blood vessel in anticipation (you can't really blame them if they live in the prairies).

I'm excited. I've told a lot of people that it's going to be fun, not just as an easy way to end the conversation but because I actually believe it too. I'm just not sure if it's going to be the greatest day of my life. I haven't gotten super excited for it yet and I won't until we actually get there. Then if it's good, maybe I'll let it be the greatest three months of my life...so far.

One thing I do want from those three months - brokenness. In myself and if I may be so bold as to ask it for those I am traveling with. I believe that is the most valuable thing that will happen during those three months. Now I just have to go in with open arms and a more open heart.

This is a very good map of our travels, probably made by but definitely taken from my friend's blog.

P.S. I have also updated my calender for the next three months. If you want to know specific places I will be, check that out.