Welcome to the Year-END!

That title sounds like a sadistic roller coaster. I apologize.
Or at least it does in my head.

So it's been two months since my trip to Africa, Thanksgiving has come and gone, my friend's wedding is tomorrow, and Christmas is days away... Naturally, all I want to do is sleep. 

This is how holidays should be spent. In bed.

With catching up with work and life, we are now approaching the end of month two in my attempt to finish "The Wise Man's Fear," WHICH is an excellent book, it's just long. TIME. WHERE YOU GO THESE DAYS? Peter understands how I feel.

So I'm in the process of moving. And instead of packing up all my belongs efficiently and moving them in a orderly fashion, I tend to get distracted and reminiscent- when I really should throw most of it away since, because if I'm going to be real, I haven't touched it in years... or even knew I still owned half the things stored in my closet. 

This could be a quick and painless process, or I could play with all the things I find. 

I think we all know what will happen. Maybe I can be all packed up before spring. 

Just kidding. Goal is New Years.

I have rekindled the disease known as the travel bug and search for new adventures around every corner.

New Years comes after Christmas. Hopefully it will be an evening full of good choices.

Those are my thoughts for now. Peace.

Africa!

So it's been a really long time since I have posted. It occurred to me recently that the last you heard of me was that I was travelling to Kenya on safari for my birthday. 

This was followed by radio silence. I did not die. 

Promise.

And the trip was absolutely amazing. The best I have ever taken hands down.

Please enjoy the highlights.

Me and the elephants in Samburu

I took this picture immediately after a lioness walked in front of our van.
I was so excited.

This was me and the lioness I saw already (see expression above),
except this day I am more composed.

Shelly, Bob and I with a Samburu village

The elephant camp

A leopard...

with its dinner. Po' impala.

A baboon, eating Ruffles.

We visited a school, which was fun

I went on a balloon ride over the Maasai Mara

I may or may not have sung Lion King

The zebra and wildebeest run together

The multicultural ballooners

Cheetah #1 that I spotted... Gah. Gorgeous.

I am in both Tanzania and Kenya. Boom.

Cute Lizard

Vultures, hippos, and crocodiles, oh my!

Cheetah #2, who had been nomming on a wildebeest

Then she was forced away by a troupe of baboons

Water spins different ways depending on what side of the equator
you are on and is still on the actual line. True story. SCIENCE.

The falls.

The group: Bev, Shelly, Bob, myself,  and John

They threw me a surprise birthday party and invited the Maasai warriors to come and
dance/ sing Happy Birthday to me in Swahili. It was pretty rad. No lie.

You know dat's right.

The Great Rift Valley... So gorgeous. 

Kenya 2013. No regrets.