For as long as I can remember, to go on a safari has been the number one thing I had to do before I die. Well, this weekend I did it. It was every bit as amazing as I thought it would be too! Everything except the cold was perfect! 

We left early Saturday morning. After driving for a couple of hours, we stopped and had breakfast and did some shopping at a little market. After driving for another hour or so, we arrived at the game park. The very first animals we saw were zebras! I couldn’t have been happier! We drove through some of the park on our way to our campsite. Yes, we camped. And yes, it is winter here. It was so cold!! But even with the cold weather, it was so worth it! I slept in so many layers and buried under several sleeping bags! BRR!!

After setting up camp, we headed back out for a little bit to see the animals….we saw zebra and giraffes, gazelle, springbok, warthogs, elephants, wildebeest, and more!! I can’t wait to go on another safari!!

Later that evening we went back to camp and ate chili for dinner. We then bundled up and went to sleep. The next day we got up early again and went back out. When we came back to take down camp, as we were packing up, a monkey got into the car and stole our trail mix! That’s right…a MONKEY was in our car and went through things looking for food! It was really funny and definitely something I’m going to remember for a long time!

 Even when we left that park later that afternoon, there were giraffes walking around! I’ve seen all of those animals countless times in zoos, but there’s something really special about seeing them in their natural habitat. God is such an amazing creator!

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."-Zephaniah 3:17

This is a verse that I read last night that really stuck out to me. We sang the song "Mighty to Save" by Hillsong the other day during devotions, and this verse goes along perfectly and really came as a comfort to me.

I've been in South Africa for seventeen days now. They have been some of the hardest days of my life. It really is a different world here. It was really scary at first. Everything is gated and hid behind electric fences and barbed wire. Everyone has guard dogs and alarm systems. It's a lot for a tiny 21-year-old girl to take in. But things are getting "normal." I'm used to all of the security precautions....and I'm starting to be confident, so as long as I look it too, things should be okay. It's amazing the things God teaches you about trust when you're scared to death though. He is so good.

Besides the security issues, I think the thing that surprised me most was just how cold it gets. During the day it's not bad...pretty typical to a fall day in Indiana, but at night it gets bitterly cold. And there's no central heating anywhere. You definitely have to bundle up and burrow under the blankets at night!

There are good things too though. I like all of the other girls, and we've done a lot of fun things. My favorite thing so far was when we went to Pretoria. It's a city near Johannesburg. We just walked around and went to an art museum. It was cool to realize I was walking around Africa by myself (well with the other girls of course!). While we were driving towards home, we found the South African Air Force Memorial. It was a little star-shaped building on a hill overlooking everything. We just hung out there for a while enjoying the sunshine and taking pictures. We decided it would be the perfect place to watch the sunset. Since we are closer to the sun here, every evening the sunset looks like a painting! 

This weekend we are going camping at a game park and  camping and going on a safari! I absolutely cannot wait! There is so much I want to write, but I should get going! Feel free to send me an email and I'll try and get back to you when I can! I have limited internet access, but I would love to hear from you! 

Here's a picture of all of us girls minus Alyssa! She's great too--she just wasn't there that day!

Today is Friday and I leave Monday. I am overcome by so many thoughts when I think about this being a reality. I'm nervous as all get out, excited beyond belief and absolutely ready to go, but stay at the same time. I want to be in so many places at once. If only I could be. I want to be in Indiana; I want to stay in Vienna; I want to go to South Africa; and more and more lately I've been missing Pittsburgh. 

I've loved Vienna since the moment I stepped out of the airport, but the longer I'm here, the more in love with it I fall. Everything about this city is amazing. It's beautiful, it's busy but relaxed at the same time, it's easy to get around and everyone lets you be. The everyday people you pass on the "U-bahn" (the trolley system) or on the streets aren't overly nice and don't go out of their way too much, but they certainly are very polite. Everyone just kind of does their own thing and minds their own business. The people I have met here though, are extremely sweet. In fact, a lovely couple and their children came over for dinner earlier. Mat is the pastor at Dawn and Ted's church, and Shelly is his wife. They have two adorable little boys, Sam and Joe. They made dinner and brought it over; it was so delicious! Shelly and Mat are actually from South Africa too! Mat is half-South African and half Austrian. Shelly is full South African. They both grew up there, so it was nice to talk with them a bit about it. Shelly is the sweetest lady too. She was really interested in wedding plans and she even told me some stories from her wedding time! I wish I could spend some more time with them and get to know them better. This is definitely a place I could see myself living someday!

I skyped with Beth and Ashley (the two interns that are already there) last night, and it definitely got me more excited! They told me all about the office and what to expect. Everything there is really professional and we get our own office! They said that the nights get really cold, but the days aren't too terrible. Beth is working with the broadcasting and the actual radio aspect of things, and she's already been live on-air twice! Maybe I'll get to jump right in and begin working! I can't even think straight when it comes to leaving! Prayers are always welcome: Nerves, relationships, health, safety, etc.  : )

Today is Wednesday and I'm sitting in an empty dining room. Justin went home on Monday. He's staying in Indiana for the summer and going to work at the Huntington's Excel office. I'm excited for him! And that he'll be near the area and be able to pick me up in Chicago in August ; )

Monday was a hard day. It was sad saying goodbye to Justin. But at least I'll get to see him in eleven weeks. His poor parents have to wait until Christmas time. Eleven weeks is still too long in my book though! After we took him to the airport though, I went with his parents to the TWR office to help out. His mom was preparing for a conference in Greece so I got to help make powerpoints and make folders of TONS of information for everyone. Yesterday I went back with them to help out some more. I also got to meet Kate, Dawn's intern for this summer. She's from Colorado but goes to college in Oklahoma. She seems like a really nice girl. It was cool being at the office and helping out...almost like I'm getting a head start on my internship. Kate, Dawn and Ted left for Greece this morning and will be gone until Sunday, so it's just me and the kids until then. I'm not too nervous. I think I know my way around well enough by now to get anywhere I need to go. The kids don't have school tomorrow because it's a national holiday in Austria, but they have a picnic at a park for the school, so I think we'll probably go to that unless it rains and it gets canceled. I'll have sometime to explore a little bit by myself, and on Friday Micah (he's 10) has an awards ceremony at school in the morning that I'll go to and then he gets out early, so maybe I'll take him out for ice cream afterwards.

Africa. I leave for Africa Monday evening. How crazy is that?! I've been waiting so long to go, and now it's so close! I'm excited, but definitely nervous! I can't wait to meet the other girls and get moved into our apartment, or "flat" as it is called there! Ashley and Beth have been there for about a week and a half now and are all settled into their "flat" already. Alena will get in about 12 hours after I do, and Alyssa will get in about a week after us. There are going to be so many adventures! I was in contact with my boss/mentor yesterday, and it sounds like shark cage diving is definitely going to happen at some point! He also said that I need to be prepared for really cold weather. He said that at night it has been getting below freezing! Yuck! During the day though, it seems to have been getting to the mid to high 60s. I'm really going to miss summer!

Anyway, I guess that's all for now. I think I'm going to go for a walk and get a few gifts maybe. Keep looking at pictures on facebook! And keep praying!! : )