10 Days To Go (but who's counting..?)

I think our packing list has officially reached 2 full pages.

Now before you assume we're packing the kitchen sink, I should expand on that...it's in mega detail so as not to forget anything vital (like contact solution or binoculars). I'm still not sure how exactly we're going to fit a month's worth of 'life' into these few suitcases, so if we run out of clothes, I suppose it's a good thing South Africa has nude beaches :)

We're down to 10 days until we fly out and are still experiencing a myriad of emotions, from delighted beyond belief, to a little anxious and overwhelmed. In fact, I'm sure the enormity of this 'event' has still not quite hit us. Our days seem to go as usual (at a slightly more hurried speed) and then suddenly we look at each other, wide-eyed, and in unison exclaim how few days left we have and one of the many things we just can't wait to see/taste/experience/meet, etc. This is followed by enormous smiles and giggles of delight. We're quite ridiculous, really!

We feel like Charlie must have felt in the days before the enormous gates of the chocolate factory opened to lure him in.

Hmm, it's simply euphoric.

McMillans: Coming to a Town Near You

Last night, with passport in hand (hallelujah!) we called our wonderful travel guy - who had graciously rebooked, and then rebooked, and then rebooked the 'cheap' tickets (we had found last month) - and purchased our tickets to South Africa. Just 3000 smackaroos and we're all set to go (thanks to Visa Premium). Considering my family flew to S.A. 5 years ago for $2000 a person, this really is a great deal. Praise God!

We have never been this adventurous before...purchasing tickets for a month long trip - just TWO WEEKS BEFORE WE FLY OUT.
Can you say "spontaneous"?!? Watch out! We're on a role.

So here's the scoop (check out the map below):
We fly out of Michigan (to Washington, then via Jo'burg) to Cape Town on Sunday, October 8th (arriving in Cape Town on the 9th)
We'll be in Cape Town for about 10 days.
Next, we'll spend the following week working our way up the Garden Route, onto Port Elizabeth and then up to Johannesburg.
We'll spend a week in Johannesburg and hopefully make it to Pilanesburg (Game Reserve) while we're in the area.
We then fly out to Windhoek, Namibia for the final 5 days of our trip.
We fly home (via JNB) on November 9th - arriving in Michigan on the 10th.

So we have 2 weeks to plan, prepare, pack and totally freak out about this delightful experience. Wow, we're in shock. But it's delicious shock, so it's okay.

We would ask for your prayer big time over the next 6 weeks - for all the details to fall into place, for the Lord to provide for the huge cost of this trip home, and for favor and provision every step of the way. We are deliriously excited, and have been so blessed to see God work out the details of the timing and airfare (and time-off at Joe's work) for this long-awaited trip. God is GOOD! We anticipate great things ahead.

Stay tuned to the blog for updates, photies and journals or our journey. Thanks for your love and support through this time of waiting. We are so blessed by the people the Lord has placed in our lives for such a time as this.

WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING! YIPPPEEEE!!

It's been a long month of no news. We were anticipating having my passport in our hands almost a month ago, and up until midnight last night didn't really know whether this trip would actually be happening. We finally heard news from our precious friend in Namibia that he had personally dropped my passport off at FedEx and that it should be in our hands by Tuesday of next week. HOLY COW! So now we start to process...and think...and plan...and pray [harder].

It is less than 3 weeks until our anticipated leave date and we've been guarding our hearts so much (not knowing whether I would actually get my passport any time soon) that we haven't seriously thought about the trip, the planning, the finances, the excitement, and everything else that comes with being off the continent for a month. YIKES, there's a lot to do! (house sitting plans, car insurance freezing, paid time off redemption, packing...LOTS of packing!)

But, we are so thrilled that this is actually going to happen (in fact it hasn't fully sunk in yet), and we're so incredible excited to see what the Lord has in store for us in this whole 'ordeal'. We know the timing of every aspect of this trip is in HIS control and is for a reason, so while it's been a slow, long, at times frustration delay - God's timing and plan is perfect. And I'm ALL ABOUT THAT! So, guess what...

WE'RE GOING TO SOUTH AFRICA IN 19 DAYS!!!

(FOR A WHOLE MONTH...WOW!)

In Memory of All Things Yummy

OH! I have been so caught up in the details of our trip home to South Africa that I didn’t even stop to think about the FOOD! OH, THE FOOD, THE GLORIOUS FOOD!!
I am practically salivating as I type this. While we managed to find Mrs. Balls Chutney, Marmite, Bovril and such here in the States – for a ridiculous price, I might add - there are certain things my tongue has not had the joy of experiencing in years and years and years.
So as I reminisce…and salivate, I will type away...
BRAAIS! Oh boy, this is a whole world of flavor and ecstasy in one little word. The Pap en Sous…Boerewors…roosterbrood…Windhoek light…wow. Enough said.
And then, having the sweet tooth (okay, so maybe sweet teeth more aptly describes my love for all things sweet), there's SMARTIES…JELLY TOTS…BLACK LIQUIRICE (the real ‘DZ’ stuff)…SUPER Cs (I’ve had a thing for these as long as I can recall)…WILSON’S MINT IMPERIALS (addicted to these simple little treasures for sure)…just the thought of real South African CADBURY’S has me twitterpated. In all honesty, American chocolate shouldn’t even be able to carry the name ‘chocolate’. That should be reserved for the stuff that actually tastes good and is milk based, versus wax based.

And then there’s Moir's CUSTARD. The kind that comes in that carton that’s ready to drink, um… serve. Sounds odd to be remembering this item, but when you had it practically every Sunday afternoon over canned peaches – you’re hooked. What can I say?
See, for all America has cracked up to be – THE FOOD, DRINKS AND SWEETIES JUST DON’T CUT IT!
Moving right along…SIMBA CHIPS in chutney and tomato flavors. Oooh so yummy!!
BILTONG should have a whole separate blog dedicated to its deliciousness (is that even a word?). Incredible. Whoops…drooling on the laptop is not a good thing.
I’m even looking forward to having PRONUTRO and WEETBIX! Oh, and then there’s OUMA’S RUSKS in our many cups of tea. I’m actually a little hesitant to drink Five Roses tea again after years of drinking this American version – I may have acquired a taste for this stuff and will have to reject the true S’Efrikan stuff! Yikes. And while we’ve found ROOIBOS here, it’s so expensive that believe you me…we’ll be STOCKING UP!
As a side note of extreme importance: I’m convinced my husband is part South African. He’s cooked more South African dishes than I have (okay, so he’s only cooked Bobotie once – but I’ve NEVER cooked anything. Well, no - I tried my hand at Koeksisters once but they were such a disaster that I'd rather suggest they were..say, Moroccon), he LOVES our teas, our liquor, our chocolate, our meats, our women (okay, just me) and everything else he’s been able to sink his teeth into that originally hailed from the kiff country of SA. So for real, bru, he’s an honorary S’Efrikan ou from here on out.
Back on track...then there’s the CERES juices! And APPLETIZER. Oh wow, am I ever in love with appletizer!
And that’s it!

I’m stuffed.
So while my brain has officially stopped working from this mental-binge-induced coma, I will slowly work my way back into reality, and patiently await indulging in all of these delicious things…with the beautiful excuse that I’m married to a foreigner and if he’s going to experience South Africa at its best…we're just going to have to consume copious amounts of all the yummy stuff listed above. Done deal.
(burp).