bringing blogging back...

After a 1 year hiatus I think its high time I return to the blog scene. I am fully aware that I might never EVER have another reader, but that is okay with me because I will probably never know. I recently watched Julie and Julia and I thought this quote was pretty accurate "what do you think a blog is? it's ME ME ME all the time!"

south africa...

Last month I got to spend 3 weeks in South Africa with my friend Rowena. She grew up there and was going back for a visit and invited me along! Of course I JUMPED at the chance! It is such a beautiful country and Cape Town was a fabulous city! I've wanted to go there for a long time so I finally got my chance and took it! After 30 hours of traveling we landed in Cape Town. It was night time and I was so excited to go to bed just to wake up and see where I was!
We didn't waste any time. We went to the beach the first day and within the first 24 hours I had a nice red tinge to my skin! A few days later we went to another beach and it was easily one of the most amazing places I've ever been. There were HUNDREDS of penguins and they were adorable! We spent the rest of the first week going to beaches and swimming every day! I could definitely get used to that!

We didn't slow down! The next 2 weeks were spent doing and seeing the most incredible things! We went to Table Mountain and looked over the beautiful city of Cape Town. We shopped at markets and saw the V&A Waterfront. We visited the Aquarium, and saw the cutest tortiose and more penguins. Next year the FIFA World Cup will be held in Cape Town and we saw the beginning stages of the stadium they are building. We drove to a little beach town called Hermanus and went to a look out that when translated is called "Raging Waters". I have never seen something so powerful. It was definitely one of the top sights! Monkey Town was a funny experience. It's a monkey exhibit where you are in the cage and the animals are in the wild! We walked around for hours looking at all the different monkeys! They definitley are interesting little creatures! Another beautiful place was Kirstenbosch, the botanical gardens. I have never seen anything so green and so lovely. The gardens went on for miles and there were hundreds of different trees and flowers. We walked around for hours and never came to the same spot twice!

Another top experience was the Safari we went on. We saw water buffalo, rhinos, zebras, springbok, hippos, elephants, ostrich, lions and a cheetah! We spent all day in a landrover looking at these incredible creatures. It has definitely ruined every zoo experience I will ever have! One day we went to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. While we were driving there we saw baboons on the side of the road! It was awesome to see them in their natural habitat! These two places were beautiful, it was cliff and ocean and everywhere you looked was a new, incredible sight. The Cape of Good Hope is the most Southwestern tip on the Continent of Africa.

The trip ended with me getting to do something I have wanted to do my ENTIRE LIFE! I got to dive with Great White Sharks! We drove out about two hours, got on a boat, sailed out to "Seal Island" and waited for the seas most feared predator to make it's appearance. I put on a wet suit, hopped in to a cage in the water and was literally inches from the Great White! It was incredible and an absolute dream come true!

It was an AMAZING trip and I am so glad for every experience! Cape Town is a place I would recommend that ANYONE go visit!

family...

Right now I'm out in Philly with my family. I love my family. My cousin and sister and I walked to Starbucks and sat and had coffee and just chatted and now we are back 'home' just having a night off. My cousin's wedding was on Saturday so it was an amazing weekend of family being together the whole time, now we've gone off in separate directions but all the cousins (except the one who is on his honeymoon) are hanging out. We went to New York City together and had a blast and now we are all letting our sore feet rest! We don't get to see a lot of each other so it's really good too be together. I think I have the best Family.

point of difference...

new...

I've always sort of felt like Spring should happen in September. There's a certain excitement of new beginnings and a freshness that comes along with that.
I have a new job, a new place to live and new friends. I'm so excited for the things that lie ahead. There's always some degree of uncertainty but I am excited for the future and the adventures ahead.

firsts...

For the first time EVER I was able to talk my way out of a speeding ticket! I have now been pulled over 3 times and I always hear people getting out of it, but I have never been so lucky - until yesterday afternoon that is. So last month I got a doozy of a ticket and I was just beginning to recover when I was pulled over yesterday for going 90 in a 70 zone. As the cop was making his way to my car I started laughing uncontrollably at the irony. I have been SO careful ever since my last ticket and I just was simply not paying attention. So the cop approaches my car, and this is the conversation that followed...

Cop: What is so funny?
Me: Oh nothing, I've just had bad luck with cops lately.
Cop: You've had bad luck or you have a heavy foot?
Me: Oh maybe a little bit of both!
Cop: Well since you seem to have a good attitude I'm going to let you off with a warning this time.
Me: A warning about what?
Cop: Very funny. Be careful and slow down.
Me: Thank you, I really appreciate it, and I will.

Honestly, it was a huge relief. He was the first nice cop I've dealt with and he was also VERY handsome, I'd like to think my cute smile and innocent eyes were the key to my non-ticket, but I think he was just feeling gracious! I still drove away with that nervous feeling though!!

pics..