Where in the world is Sarah?

I've been hard to keep track of for the last 2.5 weeks. I've been on the go nearly every day since I left Uganda. Since mid-Dec, I have been in five different countries and have slept in 12 different cities. I've driven over 4,000 km. I've slept on the roof of my car, in guest bedrooms, and in traditional mud huts. It's been an eventful and fun few weeks and I've relished time to explore and to completely set aside my research. Budget travel has made for quite a few adventures and I've made many friends along the way.

(Bed #12) I started my holiday adventures in Windhoek, Namibia. There I met up with my friend Lauren who had flown in from Hungary (where she currently resides). Lauren and I have been friends since our graduate school days at Vanderbilt. We've traveled together before, including multiple US cross country trips (we like to take obvious detours on our trips, like travel from CA to TN via Montreal, Canada). We spent our first Namibian night in real beds at a simple bed and breakfast. While we didn't get to see much of Windhoek, I was still struck by how organized and comfortable the city was.  

(Bed #13) Our next day marked the start of our car camping era. Lauren and I picked up a camping equipped Hilux in Windhoek and headed out to Waterberg. Waterberg Plateau National Park was a gorgeous start to our trip with fascinating rock plateaus, families of warthogs galore, and spectacular star gazing at night. Our first tent assembly was far from smooth (luckily a Namibian tour guide at the site next door took pity on us and taught us some tricks). We also met some kind Germans at the end of their trip who generously shared superfluous camping items like spare firewood, dishwashing soap, and bacon flavored cheese. 

(Bed #14-- note: while technically the same mattress for much of Namibia, I count each location as a new sleeping spot) Our next destination was Etosha. Etosha is one of the main game parks in Namibia. It was a strange park with huge salt flats and giant expansive spaces. It seemed crazy that any animals lived in such desolate surroundings, but sure enough when we saw animals, we SAW animals: we had multiple up close rhino encounters, a morning with a pride of 10 playful lions, a leopard sighting, etc. Lauren and I also honed our car tent assembly/disassembly skills, as sunrise and sunset drives required rapid early morning camp break downs and confident nighttime assemblies. 

 Bed #15: Next we moved on to Damaraland-- to the most gorgeous camp site I’ve ever stayed in at the foot of a huge rock mountain. Damaraland is rugged and expansive; funky rock formations emerge from desert sands. While in Damaraland, we trekked dessert elephants, checked out Africa’s largest collection of rock engravings, and enjoyed the incredible views. We also befriended several of the nearby lodge’s employees and enjoyed learning about the local culture and life. I tried to learn a bit of Damara, the local language which integrates a range of tongue clicks, but I was a pretty pathetic pupil.

 Bed 16: After Damaraland we headed to the coast. To get there we drove through a stretch of the most desolate land I’ve ever seen. We detoured through Cape Cross where we witnessed the chaos of 80,000 seals on one beach (many of them just a few weeks old). In Swakopmud we took a short break from our tent and slept in real beds. It was a lovely, coastal respite from our desert camping life. We ate/drank at German alehouses that took us to to a different world.

Bed #17: We returned to our rooftop camping for Christmas in the Namib. On Christmas morning we hiked one of the largest sand dunes in the world, Sussevlei. Then we lounged under a tree until we went to the campsite’s restaurant for a buffet dinner (thanks, Lauren, for the great gift!). I was happy to be able to chat with family, who managed to call my Namibian cell on Skype.  An unusual and memorable Christmas.

Bed#18: Next we cut south to Fish River Canyon, the largest Canyon in Africa. We were impressed both by the canyon and by the nice warm showers at our camp facilities. On our way, we stopped and got (supposedly famous within Namibia) apple pie at a tiny town called Solitaire. Also a nice treat.

Bed#19:Our Namibian trip was rounded out by a stay at Orange River. After several days in the dessert, flowing water was a welcomed site. Add to that a nice pool, a real bed, and cooler temperatures… we were happy women.

Bed#20: We crossed over into South Africa and immediately things shifted: roads became busy (in Namibia we could drive an hour without seeing another car), the pace more hectic, and the landscape a bit more tame and familiar. We struck out to the coast to spend a night in Lamberts Bay. We ended up staying at an RV park that was mostly filled with fishermen or long-term South African summer vacationers. We were the only transient travelers, the only Americans, and we definitely stood out. A South African family basically adopted us and gave us a taste of coastal camping life. They fed us and chatted with us late into the evening. It was a strange shift in culture, but we felt so at ease with our new friends.

Bed #21: Lauren and I finished our travels together in Capetown where we returned the car and moved into an AirBnB rental. Lauren and I had both been to Capetown before, so I didn’t take many photos. Most of our time in Capetown was devoted to eating and drinking. Sadly, the ocean conditions were bad the day we were meant to be great white shark diving.  However, we did manage to tour a couple wineries on New Years. Again, we made new friends and had random adventures to round out our trip. So glad Lauren was willing to make the long trek to this region to meet me!

Bed#22: As Lauren left South Africa, I brought my things to Johannesburg. I'll be spending the next few months in Johannesburg, so will save the blog post about my hosts here for another day. The short version: people I had not met prior to this trip have opened their home to me. They are so welcoming already! 

Bed #23:After Lauren left, I still I had a couple days until school started. So I booked a quick trip to Victoria Falls. I stayed in the cheapest backpacker lodge I've ever been to and slept in a mud hut. I spent a lot of time with the guys who ran the place and their friends. While I based myself out of Livingstone, Zambia, I was able to take day trips to the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls and to Chobe National Park in Botswana. I am really grateful for the opportunity to make these trips, as I had been longing to get to this region for quite some time! Taking advantage of Jo-burg as my "home" airport of the moment.   

.... And that takes me back to bed #22 again. I just returned to Johannesburg. I'll be here for several months. My phone number should stay the same, and my brain can finally acclimate to a single currency for a bit. Looking forward to staying still for the next few weeks! 

Many reasons for grattitude

I am leaving Uganda refreshed. I have been able to hug and laugh with dozens of friends. I have  slept in (on occasion). I have gotten to know my friends' babies that have grown into delightful toddlers while I've been away. I have caught up a bit on work I was behind on. I have spent hours and hours in gardens listening to birds and enjoying greenery. Not only that, I have two weeks of full time vacation to look forward to. The further I go in this journey, the more and more I realize how much I have to be grateful for. People's hospitality amazes me. I am very blessed, indeed. 

A quick shout out to my last two "homes" in Uganda. Lynda and her son Zeke opened their home to me for several days. I was sad that I missed her daughters, my former students who are now back in Australia, and her husband who is currently in West Africa. However, it was great to get a few days of quality time with my former co-worker and church friend. 

Lucy (left) and Lynda (right)

My 11th guest room of the trip was with my friends Mark and Lucy. It was so nice to reminisce, relax in their pool, and play with their daughter Isla (who was kind enough to share her room with me). Thanks for being such great hosts and friends!

Isla

Mark and pups

Familiar Spaces

Last week, I returned to Uganda for some friend time, catch up, and R&R. In some ways, it feels like things haven’t changed. As I sip Tuskers in friends’ yards, watch all my shoes and socks instantly turn the red hue of Ugandan dirt, listen to turacos and weaver birds incessantly chatter in the trees, acquire new mosquito bites by the hour, and laugh with old friends this place still feels familiar. At the same time, new buildings and faces and all my friends’ babies that have transformed from infants to personality brimming toddlers remind me that a lot can change in two and a half years. 

In the last week, I have finally slowed down my pace a little bit. I did not realize how exhausted I was until I arrived at the home of my dear friends Johnny and Amber.  Only as I finally allowed myself to sleep in, catch up on my work, take some time for myself did the realization that for 3 months I had been “on” sink in. It has been so nice to take leisurely mornings and sip my coffee in the garden before catching up on my work. Johnny and his daughter, Malia, have filled my last week with German chatter, laughter, and music. I am so excited for reunions with his wife, Amber, as she returns from the US with their newborn son. I am very grateful that bed# 9 was in such a familiar home with comfortable friendships. Thanks, Johnny for hosting me (and Amber, even if you weren’t in the country yet).

Ciao, Ethiopia!

Alas, it is time already to write about the end of my time in Ethiopia! While I am really excited to get back to one of my “homes” (Uganda) and to have a month to let my brain catch up before collecting more data, I am really quite sad to leave this school community and country.  My favorite thing about my job is that I get to meet many people. In Addis, all of the folks I have met have been incredibly open and welcoming. They’ve included me on countless adventures (whether trying to catch a neighborhood stray to free it of oppressive matted dredlocks, dancing at staff parties, or driving around the city to feed homeless). I have been privileged to step into a range of community projects and am so grateful for the new perspectives that these experiences have offered me. Addis is a really interesting and vibrant city and the school community dynamic and welcoming.   

Continuing with the “where I’ve slept” motif, I have three more locations to catalog:

Bed#6: I’ve met many new friends here, and Kathy is one of them. Kathy is the sort of person who instantly makes you feel at home in a space. When Kathy had to chaperone a grade 5 overnight trip (bless her!) I stayed at her apartment with her thoughtful, kind son. We had a great time playing Wii and discussing literary analysis (a totally normal discussion with an elementary aged kid, right? Love this guy).

Bed #7: For the last two weeks I have been staying with a couple I worked with in Korea that are new to Addis this year. It has been so fun to laugh with Heidi and George and to watch them transition to a new continent and culture. I am so grateful for their hospitality. They have really gone above and beyond hosting expectations and have driven me all over town, kept me well fed, and have taken me on a range of Addis adventures. Heidi and George are such wonderful examples of what Christianity should look like, I am so grateful to have them as friends.

Bed #8: I spent part of my last weekend camping in Menagesha Suba Forest, supposedly the oldest reserve in Africa (mid-1400’s). I headed to the forest with another Korea connection: Ken and Charmaine and their son, Wes. Ken was the camping master and both my tent and air mattress were courtesy of them (bedding courtesy of Chris/Amanda/Heidi/George… it was cold, I needed a lot). I was so glad to step into wilderness for a few days and also reconnect with old friends. We shared a lot of laughter during our short stay and had plenty of adventures (thanks, in part, to the smoker that lured in wildlife with its lovely aroma…. those slow cooked ribs were amazing and worth every hyena howl).

Ameseginaleh, everyone for your incredible hospitality! Until our paths cross again.