Looking back...

I was chatting to a friend the other day and he asked me if i had achieved everything i wanted to on this trip, if it was a success and if i was satisfied... my immediate answer was yes but it also made me think about what my objectives were before this trip, the reasons i came over here and what i've gotten out of being in the states!

Within a couple weeks of me being here i realised that yes, maybe i had originally come here for the wrong reason... trying to make something out of nothing, fix something beyond repair, etc but i came to terms with that very quickly, moved on and decided to make the most of me being in the states! I made a list of things i wanted to do and places i wanted to see... visit my twins in denver, go skiing again, get to the bna xmas party, go to nyc, see a bit of florida, get back to disney, go to new orleans, work hard, make some money, meet new people and see old friends and all and all everything bar one was done... i haven't made it to new orleans yet, but i have plenty of time for that yet, besides it was substituted by key west... a fair compromise :)

These last 6 and a bit months i have worked hard, i've done some travelling and met some great and some not so great people, i've done some growing and some forgiving... i've also realised that the success to a relationship of any kind is compromise...

The most important and special part of my trip to the states is me meeting Stu... a kind, wonderful, caring, funny and sexy man who makes me feel special and who i love deeply! Stu is proof that all things happen for a reason and that there are no regrets in life, only lessons to be learnt... so looking back, yes my trip has been a success and i am more than satisfied!

I am now ready for the next chapter to begin... let the journey continue :)

Spring has sprung :)

Spring has arrived in South Africa and here i am, sick in bed with flu... oh the joys, but after my last experience with the flu which landed me with a dodgy ticker i've decided to take it easy and not push myself!!

Winter was a very busy season for me, loads of events from mid-xmas and The July to Madam Zingara and the Durban Airshow, not to forget supporting Trish as she ran the Comrades and helping out the the KZN Rowing Regatta... i think my liver got a big wake up call, but i had an awesome (yes i used that word) winter and met some fantastic people! :)

But i think the biggest developement is my pending return to the states (37 days and counting), i got my visa, resigned from Billys (really enjoyed that) and am now just waiting on the plane ticket but everything is in place... except my head, which is lagging a little but coming around slowly!! As much as i'm excited about going back to the states, i've been home for 2 years now and have settled back into the South African way of life and am really enjoying myself, but i know i need to go... for many reasons, its a chance of a lifetime!

I'm now in the middle of studying for a couple of exams i write before i leave and planning a trip to Cape Town and the Otter Trail at the end of September... loads to look forward to in the next couple of weeks... so, as the song says, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" :)

My altercaton with a motor vehicle

So, there i was... doing the responsible thing by catching a cab home from work a couple Fridays ago! The cab had to do a U-turn to make it's way towards my humble abode... i hadn't even been in the cab a minute and we hadn't moved more than 10 meters when all of a sardine some drunken arsehole comes flying down the road and slams into the back of us. The whole thing happened so quickly, i don't really remember how i got hurt but a couple seconds after the impact i realised something was wrong. A friend of mine came running over and pulled me out the cab, took one look at my head and rushed me off for ice... by this stage i was curious as to what all the fuss was about, i put my hand to my left eyebrow and damn... i had inherited a golf ball!!!

Taken at the hospital, just after the accident

The paramedics arrived and decided i needed to visit the hospital just to ensure there was no internal head injury so i got my first ride in an ambulance... was a little bummed though, there were no sirens or lights, i was obviously not that important. The doctor did a once over of my head, had a giggle about the size of my golf ball and a laugh about the fact that i was off to a wedding the following day looking like Quasi Moto... hehe!

The next morning... getting ready for the wedding

My accessory at Tristan and Jackie's wedding!

Anyway, 2 weeks down the line and i still have a black eye that would rival any black eye given by Mike Tyson. I'm actually quite proud of my shiner.... pretty good for a first attempt! :)

2 weeks old... looking like permanent make-up!!

Durbs by the sea

Here i am... back in Durban! I find it hard to call it home, cos for some reason i walk around here and i just don't feel like i am at home... that'll probably change with time i suppose.

Well nothing much has actually changed since i've been gone... everything is still pretty much where it was, with a few additions here and there! The first couple of days i was back, my head was spinning... i wasn't use to walking around hearing South African accents, i had to keep reminding myself that i as indeed back in SA!

There is so much that i need to do and it has me all a little stressed at the mo... job hunting, studying, moving flat, trying to organise a drivers license (which is a total cock up) and just trying to keep focused... it's all a little much at the mo, but one step at a time!

Anyway, thought i'd just update everyone on my where abouts and yes i know i haven't finished my recap on Alaska... will get there with time!
Hope you are all well :)
Robyn