Brooklyn, we roll hard.

Emy, Joey and Dan came to visit!

They came, they saw, they conquered.  Our credo was "Brooklyn, we roll hard!", and roll hard we did - whether it be through herds of wild elephants or herds of drunken Afrikaaners, we took Africa by storm.  They brought a little piece of home to ZA, and only reinforced my belief that no matter where I roam, I'll never find a group of peeps who can compare to my Brooklyn crew.

Love and miss you guys, and I'll be seeing y'all real soon.

Outdoor concert

Kickin' it on safari

Family portrait.

Pardon my absence, I've been away on...

SAFARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know how sometimes, every great once in awhile, something so special and amazing comes along that it renders you absolutely unable to accurately sum it up?

Safari is one of those things.  

You gotta go.  Put it on the top of your life list, book your ticket, and get yourself one of those ridiculous hats.  

I'm not going to say a whole lot here - I know people are in it for the pictures : )  But I will say that it is mind-blowing to be so close to these animals in their natural habitat.  I spent the better part of a week with my jaw on the floor, utterly speechless out of awe and reverence.  I can't compare it to anything, and I wouldn't do it justice by describing it.  

Ya just gotta go.

P.S. - I took a boatload of pics, so I'll probably throw more up in coming weeks.  Below are some of my faves so far.  Enjoy!

Baby, Momma, Poppa

Blesbok

Mudfight!!!!

Full moon over Kruger Park as the lions lounge...

The watering hole.

Peek-a-boo.

Ngogo (Zulu for Grandma)

Pumpkins in March...kinda trippy.

Ro pickin' walnuts

Before...

After

Starting from Scratch

"It feels good to get dirty, work hard, and slow down." - Jenna Woginrich

It's harvest time here in Memel, and Cindy's kitchen is in full swing as we prep for the winter.  I'm learning how to store, I'm making preserves - plum jam, apple butter, tomato chutney, to name a few.  I'm picking corn off the stalk, shucking it, milling it - turning it into fresh cornmeal for fritters and cornbread.  I'm learning to make my own yogurt...that's been a real trial and error process so far.  

It's oddly satisfying.  There's something incredibly fulfilling about creating your meals from scratch - and by scratch I mean, from planting the seed to the moment it hits your plate - about really knowing where your food comes from.  Sure, back home I can go to a farmer's market and buy a bunch of organic arugula from a local farm, but the rewards not the same: I wasn't there when the seed went into the ground, I didn't watch the plant grow, and I don't ultimately know what went into the process.  

It's about coming full circle.  It's creating something, REALLY creating it, from absolute start to finish.  It's gettting back to the basics, getting grounded, in the most fundamental way.  It's the sense of freedom that comes with being able to provide for yourself - to feed yourself.  To know what's going into your body and know that you worked for it.  It's deeply and surprisingly fulfilling.

Now, I'm a city girl at heart, and I enjoy the conveniences of modern living as much as the next person. But in a world where we're constantly plugged in, mass produced, and bombarded by a trillion pre-packaged distractions, this movement towards self-sustainability is not only revolutionary, but necessary.  It's about taking more control of your life, and regaining some of the authenticity we've lost. There's bliss in walking out to the coop, basket in tow, to pick your own eggs for breakfast.  There's inner peace in searching the garden for the perfect eggplant.

Of course, compost heaps and chickens may not be so realistic for a city like New York.  But wherever you are, whatever your current situation, there are a multitude of choices you can make to bring more simplicity into your life.  So try taking a step towards self-sufficiency today.   Grind your own beans instead of buying that two dollar cup of joe.  Ride your bike to work instead of taking the train.  Put down the iPhone and pick up a musical instrument.  You'll be blown away by the sense of accomplishment you'll feel, the joy that comes with giving up convenience for the sake of creation.  Start making your life from scratch.

Peaches.

John talks about his...no, no - it's too easy.

Memel Organics Preserves.

Phew!

This last week and a half was a whirlwind - the three grad students teaching English (Nayeon, Logan & Hilary) finished their contract, and the days preceding their departure were jammed packed with travel, school events, and farewell parties.

We kicked off the craziness by travelling to the Elephant Coast last week - a 160km stretch of gorgeous, untamed beaches and nature reserves, appropriately nicknamed "The Wild Coast".

Cape Vidal

Mission Rocks

St. Lucia Market

HIPPO!!!!!!

Sodwana Bay

After too much sun and too many close encounters (you try learning to drive stick when rhinos keeping wandering into the road) we returned to Memel for a week of goodbye braais and our first official soccer match with the girls.

Cindy, cooking rabbit for 60.

Bright, Reason, Lakateah (my roomie), and Evidence.  A family of Zimbabwean refugees employed at Cindy's farm.  And yes, those are their real names.

Ro coaches through a huddle on game day.  

It was a grand week, full of speeches, celebrations, and tears.  Waving goodbye as the teachers sped off to catch their flight, I realized how lucky I am - I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share this experience with.  To Nayeon, Hilary and Logan: Good Luck with all you do, and Thankyou for making the last two months so memorable.  

Miss you already.

The Weekend

Waterfall on Sediba Trail

Home (for now)...Memel.

Baby Tigers!

Game Day in the neighboring township, Zamani.

The goats decided to join the game.