I have to say that this New Year came and went without the fireworks that I anticipated. I mean you expect that your first New Year on a different continent to be, well, epic. Our team had plans to have a nice dinner on New Years Eve but when we got to the restaurant we learned that they closed early. Bummer. Luckily we made it back in time to have dinner at the farm we are working at this week. After dinner we watched an episode of House and then Jeff, one of the founders of Horizon Farms, invited us to his home. We hung out with him and his family for a while, met his bird, Mr. Bones, he told us stories about the farm and about what it was like to be the first blind man to sail across an ocean. That’s right, he sailed, blind, from South Africa to Australia! Impressive? I think so. Anyway, it turned into a pretty interesting night but at 10pm we were exhausted and headed back to our rooms. For the first time in a long time I slept right through the New Year. Ironically, I did wake up at about the time you guys were celebrating the New Year in GA.
Jeff talking with Kelly and Glenn Me and Mr. Bones!
In reflection of 2011 I have thought of a few numbers of the things I have accomplished this year:
8 Countries (US, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Albania, Romania, Qatar, South Africa)
9 Plane rides
Too many busses to count
7 Mountains Hiked (Stone Mountain, Sawanee, The Andes in Ecuador and Peru, a random Mt in Bolivia, Mt. Dithe in Albania, and The Drakensburg Mt’s in S. Africa)
Our hike in the Drakensburg Mt’s in South Africa
8 or 9 Books read (this is way above average for me)
50 + new friends
7 different currencies used
Exposed to 8 + languages
$15,500 raised
Countless Skype dates
1 amazing experience
oh yeah, and…
1 dreadful fall off a horse named Shamrock (No worries, I’m fine, just a really
bruised hip and some scrapes. I’ll have to tell you that story another time.)
bruised hip and some scrapes. I’ll have to tell you that story another time.)
This is the minor of the 2 injuries that I got from the fall… the other can’t be photographed. 🙂
2011 is going to be a hard year to beat. Here’s hoping!
Many blessings,
Kim
