Our first goodbye...

Hello Everyone! Sorry for the pause in blogging this last week. I have been very, very busy!

We had finals this week and are leaving Pietermaritzburg tomorrow morning (Saturday) very early. This has been a really weird week for me! It's been great in some parts: got to have a few really awesome conversations with Jeremy which we rarely get to do considering the time change, internet lacking, etc. So that was REALLY great! We went out for a final night at the Keg a few nights ago which was a good time. My History and Culture of SA presentation went well and our group got the best grade, so that always is good to hear :)

But this week has also been really weird emotionally for me. I've been very weepy and emotional so I haven't wanted to blog and sound like Debbie Downer. I am ready to come home, I am ready to leave Pietermaritzburg even though I love it here so much, but something about leaving and packing and the stress of finals and grades just got to me. The hardest part for me is not leaving SA, it's leaving this dynamic of awesome people! Really I have met some WONDERFUL people here and it makes me sad that we have to leave each other and lose this bond we have here. I know things can continue at school and we can reminisce about this time... but it's fun living together in community!

Also this week I have:
-Went to Fast & Furious 4 last night (and sat next to a SA kid and the movie has a lot of spanish lingo in it so I translated some things because these people don't know any spanish! Even the "common" words!)
-Had a last girls' night with my lovely challet mates, Lauren and Ashleigh :)
-Prepared enchiladas for the kitchen staff and made a banquet for them. First time I've tasted REAL mexican food in 12 weeks! YUMMMMMM!!!!! I was in the kitchen! SA kitchens are much different... it was funny to work in there! They really appreciated it though! And had never heard of enchiladas.
-Chapel for Good Friday and prayer walk today to bless the AE campus
-And the first part of the week was full of cramming for finals!

But even though it's hard to know this is leaving, walls have been cleaned of pictures and cards, bags packed, hallways are a MESS of luggage and trash bins, and we are off to another quick adventure before we come home!

Cape Town is our next destination. I do not know how much internet access I will have there or if I will have the opportunity to Skype, so I am going to leave my schedule here so you guys can follow along my journey:

Sat April 11- Depart to East London from Pietermarizburg (10 hour drive), hotel
Sun April 12- Easter service and then beach day in East London, hotel

Mon April 13-Drive on Garden Route and some people (not myself) will bungy jump. End in Oudtshoorn, hotel
Tues April 14- Congo Caves in Oudshoorn!!! Then travel to Cape Town, hotel
Wed April 15- Tour of Cape Town and lecture, homestays that night!
Thurs April 16- Township Tour
Fri April 17- Lecture at Cornerstone Christian College (CCC)
Sat April 18- Walk up Table Mountain
Sun April 19- SA comedy show!

Mon April 20- Lecture
Tues April 21- Robben Island tour!
Wed April 22- Lecture day. SA votes today!!!!
Thurs April 23- Tour of the Peninsula
Fri April 24- Lecture and we get to (try) to play Cricket that night!
Sat April 25- Free day
Sun April 26- Free day

Mon April 27- Lecture
Tues April 28- Walking tour of the Bo-Kaap (no idea what that is.. i think it's a community...)
Wed April 29- Lecture
Thurs April 30-Visit the Stellenbosch and Pearl to learn about Afrikaner culture
Fri- May 1- Lecture
Sat & Sun May 2&3- Last weekend with host families

Mon May 4- Leave for High Africa (hotel) for reflection and re-entry orientation
Tues May 5- High Africa
Wed May 6- Leave High Africa for Cape Town International Airport and depart at 2:30p on SA336 for Johannesburg then to Washington DC then to LAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:) :) :) I can't believe this is almost over!!! But I can't tell you how exxxxcited I am to see Jeremy, my family, his family, my APU family, then my Sacramento family!!!! :):):)

With my love from South Africa,
Paige:)