Not sure how this happened, but here I sit: The last one in our house. It's not my favorite feeling.

Really missing my Christow family today. Both #7 and #9 ;)

Aren't they just the prettiest?

Namibz.

This past week I went to Namibia with one of my friends Rosalia [Tuwilika] from UCT. To say it was an adventure would be an understatement. It was an eventful escapade!

After a 23 hour bus ride that ended up being 36 hours  ~thanks to a series of thirty-minute stops and a bus-fire[flat-tire] that took WAY too long to fix~ I made it to Windhoek! 

Fortunately, my excitement was still high; Unfortunately, the temperature was too!

90 plus. fuss. fuss. fuss.

Thank goodness for beaches!

We spent a few days with friends in Windhoek and then left really early for Swakopmund where we spent a day at the dunes:

After exploring Swakopmund with our delightfully animated guide Happy (Rosa's good friend [pictured above] who is from there), we headed north to Oshakati where Rosa and the majority of her friends are from! It was a 7 hour bus ride (and by bus ride, I mean large 15-seater van crammed with 30 people and no air conditioning!) But adventurous nonetheless ;)

When we finally arrived in the north, I met Rosa's family and they're absolutely wonderous! She is the oldest, with three younger sisters, and they all have the most colorful personalities and are absolutely gorgeous and talented (dancin' in da blood!). Her mother is one of the loveliest humans, and I learned so much about their culture and traditions.

She gave me Omawe, which are traditional beads women wear around their waists from  the time they are very young. I even got a traditional Oshakati name, Ndeshipanda, which means I'm happy for it/grateful. --And it's fitting, as despite the immensely long bus rides and melting death heat (excuse my dramatic tendencies), I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to Namibia and spend time with Rosa and her family and see their beautiful home!

 I even had a chance to go to the homestead where her Grandparents live. Her grandmother still lives the traditional lifestyle and shared many of their cultural practices.  

Her grandmother brews traditional Namibian beer known as  omalovu giilya.  It's made out of pearl sorghum or the Oshakati word 'Omahangu'. She also had quite the personality and I had the most wonderful time talking to her and hearing all her stories!

At Rosa's home in Oshkati. This is her mom and Ethole ['she loves us'] one of the sweetest little girls ever! She barely left my side during my stay. Even when I showered (which happened OFTEN to survive the immense heat!) she would wait outside the door for me! I'm gonna miss her tons and her troublesome ways ;)

The dresses they're wearing above are traditional ones called Ohema Yeentulo. These ones in particular are from a recent family wedding. So much fun!

 

My Omawe, the traditional waist beads :)

Today:

Today I’m in love. With everything. And nothing. The people around me. The flowers. The little cracks in the sidewalk that fit perfectly together.

Everything just seems so bright, so light today.

I can even appreciate the creepy man with snide comments who begs me to take him home with me.

I guess it truly is all in perspective. 

My perspective today: Cape Town is beautiful, the world is beautiful. I’m gonna go find a swing

Election time in Cape Town.

AHHHHHHHHHH! So much stress/anticipation/excitement here these last hours in Cape Town.

 


I must say I've never been more grateful for our time difference, though. The election result timing really worked out in our favor!

No better news to wake up to!

We Americans spent the morning snuggled in the bed, listening to the inspiring words of the one and only.

FOUR MORE! SCORE. SCORE. SCORE.

I must commend the timing, just as I'm falling completely head over heals for Cape Town, it was nice to be reminded why I'm proud to be an American! Love you all and love America! ;)

It's been said that it's not the place that makes the experience, but rather the people you are with. This saying has proved ten-fold in my experience here in Cape Town thus far.

Being in such a beautiful city with a million opportunities to see the most wonderful places and try crazy new things, it can be hard to justify spending anytime inside just relaxing 

However, if there's anything I learned in my time here thus far, sometimes doing 'nothing' at all is just what you need. 

And I must admit, that although I've thoroughly enjoyed all the beautiful new things I've tried and seen while being here in Cape Town, some of my most cherished memories consist of me being bundled up on the couch with my fellow Christowians cuddling and watching le films.

People are beautiful, and I've met some wonderous ones here and absolutely adore spending time with them no matter how 'uneventful' the chosen activities are.

I've grown to love my increasingly prevalent lazy days and even more the people I spend them with.

That is all :)