This is going to be a blog in three parts (and sub-parts), and will mainly contain pictures because I've had a pretty incredible time since my last post, but I don't really want to write that much and most of you don't want to read that much. So, here it goes...
Pre-America:
Aimee and I went to Kasane, met up with some wonderful people, ate some delicious Indian food, and saw a bunch of elephants. Also, I held some snakes. And we got a hitch from an overlander, which for those of you not in Botswana, are those giant tourist trucks that look like small buildings for people to come and live out of for several weeks at a time and trek across several countries. They are ridiculous and never pick up hitch hikers, so that was weird and awesome.
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The Most Ridiculously Crazy, Fun, Three Weeks EVER
(Part I) So America is a pretty neat place, Oregon especially. It's also super awesome when two of your favorite people in the whole world get married to each other and your entire family is together for the first time in a long time and somehow the majority of your other college friends can make it into the Portland metro area and the Portland Brewer's Festival is happening and it's summer in the Pac NW (which is pretty much the best thing ever in itself). It was a whirlwind of food, beer, coffee, water, sunshine, and love. See photographic proof below:
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| Sushi and sisters. |
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| McAlister & Friends Reunited. |
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| Sisters. |
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Oregon Brewers Festival.
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Bridal Party! YAY!
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Ladies.
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| Paddle Boarding on Detroit Lake |
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(Part II) Also ridiculously awesome was that I spent the following week here:
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Obligatory Eiffel Tower stop.
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I'm still not entirely sure what they put on escargo, but it is ridiculously delicious.
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Drinking wine along the Seine.
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SO MUCH GOOD FOOD.
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Hiking!
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| Rough life. |
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Returning to Botswana:
(Part I) AWA, or Africa Wins Again describes my return travel in which I discovered that an hour and a half is not a long enough lay over to get through the Joburg airport. So, my trip back to site was far more expensive and far less comfortable than I was expecting... AWA. Luckily, I had some really great projects to jump right into, which brings me to:
(Part II) Special Olympics is a project my friend Lindsey in Maun has been working on for quite some time, and Etsha 13 had a team going down. I was able to jump right into the prep work for our youth, my favorite part being training with the kids each morning leading up to the event. I'm not sure if I have ever been a part of such a joyful project. A great day with the kids, facilitators, and my fellow PCVs and a perfect way to jump back into my work.
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PCVs involved.
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Enjoying the races.
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| Some of the kids involved (those in black Choppies jerseys are from Etsha!) |
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