1 Year Abroad!

I have now been out of the United States for over one year! I celebrated my anniversary in Maun, Botswana after a night bush camping in the Okavanga Delta along with Olly, another overlander, who was celebrating his 23rd birthday on the 14th!

I've been trying to put into words just how beautiful my African experience has been and have cannot find words sufficient enough. Just know, as I was standing on the seat of the Land Rover in Serengeti National Park, just 8 short weeks ago, I felt as if my trip was finally starting. I was finally alive and in the moment and this is an emotion that has not left me since!

For now, I write from Cape Town, South Africa after a morning of hail and rain on top of Table Mountain. I know it's winter but isn't this Africa as well?!?

The Number Game:

Continents visited: 3
Countries visited: 21
Friends to join me: 9
languages spoken: 14
Easter's celebrated: 2 (Spain and Greece)
Visits to Hospital: 4, all in the same week
haircuts: 1
journals filled: 1 1/2
cd's burned: 18
new passport stamps: 46
bus rides: 107
boat journeys: 52
plane departures: 14
dancing nights: 39 (needs improvement)
toilets sat on: 43
bottles of wine consumed (with help): 191 !!!
longest train journey: Bucharest to Thessaloniki 27 hours
longest period w/o showering: 4

Extremes:
Best Surprise: Bolivia
Best food: Greece
MVP: Natasha
Best Trek: Cerro Llao Llao, BAricloche, Argentina
Best Sunset: Serengetti
Best Sunrise: Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia
Favourite African PARK: South Luanga National Park, Zambia
Best Capital City: Vienna, Austria
Worst Capital City: Lima Peru
most lush accomodation: Contintenal, Athens, Greece
Strangest Accomodation: Ferry Port, Corfy Town, COrfu, Greece
Best book read: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Best Beach: Nguri, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Best Coctail: Fernet and Cola
Worst bus journey: Uyuni ---> La Paz Bolivia tied with
BAriloche---->Buenos Aires, the 3rd time, when all was stolen
best journey: Black River, Amazonas, Brazil
most fun in a Castle: Rasnov, Romania with Dracula and David
Favourite Folkloric Pena: El Jarro, Bariloche, Argentina
Most Exciting Futbol Game: River vs. Boca
highest altitude: 5000m Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia
Favourite African animal: elephant
best ice cream: Jauja, Bariloche, Argentina
Most $$$: England
Least $$$ Bolivia
Fav African Beer: Hansa ---biased, the name of my tent as well (real answer: Kilimanjaro)

These are just to name a few ;)

You might have figured out that the overland tour is over now that I am in Cape Town. There will be photos and updates on the continent that has stolen my heart to come shortly. For now, I need to mention that I am not on my flight to Mumbai, India right now because I have decided to stay in Southern Africa for 2 more months. The visa was going to take longer than I had anticipated so I will road trip through South Africa and Mozambique with Beth and Althea, 2 beautiful ladies I met while on Fanny, the big yellow truck I called home for the past 8 weeks :)

Thank you to all for the support during my first year abroad! Love and miss you all:)