Home

Once again, it's here. The end of a long journey. I wish I were so eloquent as to write a tale of my travels like Mr. Bilbo Baggins, but sadly I'm not...nor does my tale contain dragons and dwarves and elves, so it might not be as interesting. I leave Durban tomorrow. (And after a 33 hour trip) I'm going back home to see my parents, and I fully expect the desert to welcome me with a dry blast of blazing heat as I walk out of the airport doors. I haven't seen "home" in 7 months. Arizona will always be my home of homes, where I grew up, the place that anchors me to so many people I love. Furthermore, I've come to appreciate its unique beauty. Phoenix is my favorite city to fly into at night and the mountains capture my eye and my heart during the day. As someone who hated it growing up, I've learned a big lesson in appreciating what you have from this city. Oh man, it has been a whirlwind few months, and I can't believe it's ending. I'm going to try and write a bit more about Durban and my trip, but for now I'm so excited to come back to the US, I can't imagine a better place to be going home to.

Tuesday Tunes!

This is my last week in Durban, and as such I am desperately trying to get in all the things I have to get done on as timely of a basis as is possible. So, instead of a real post, of which I will definitely try to make more, here is some music that's keeping me sane.

1. "Back Home" - Yellowcard
2. "It Wasn't Me" - Shaggy
3. "Shake" - iFani (South African Hip-Hop!!)
4. "Wrecking Ball Heart" - Jack's Mannequin
5. "Dirty Paws" - Of Monsters and Men

Derby Days

THE event to be at in Durban in the winter (yes, it's winter here, don't let the 70 degree weather fool you) is the July. It's a derby, and not unlike the ones in the States, involves crazy outfits, free drinks, betting, and general tomfoolery. This year's theme was "Posh, Oh My Gosh!" I wasn't expecting to attend such a fancy event while here, so I ended up having to buy a bunch of stuff, but putting together an outfit and making a hat was just as fun as the actual derby! And I couldn't help feeling just a little bit like Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady.
My friend's parents had these stellar box seats, which was awesome, but I honestly wish I'd done a bit more walking around and taking pictures of the crazy outfits! Sadly, if you know me at all, you know I am an absolute failure when it comes to documenting things properly. Anyway, I placed a small bet on the main race and won $4, so that was neat!

Fourth Feast

When you're not in America on July 4th, as has often been the case for me, the thing you really miss is food. Though I can't bring myself to tout the "home of the free and the brave" horn today with all the 4th Amendment and rights violations so nonchalantly being passed in our country (most recently, see education bill in PA and sneaky reproductive rights clause in an unrelated bill in NC), my stomach is happy to commend the American diet. Excuse me while I make this post about unhealthy food I miss.





Happy Fourth of July! Feast on!