Wow, ok so lots has happened since my last post, so I will try and sum up what has went down in the life of Sarah since touching back down in the states.RAGBRAI: Within hours of being picked up from the airport my mom informs me that there is one spot left on the bus to RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, the world's biggest bike tour with over 15,000 cyclists riding over 500 miles) and I only had a few hours to make up my mind if I wanted to come. Despite my protest of "I haven't ridden in a year" we took the bike out for a spin to make sure it was road ready. I don't think I ever really agreed to it, my mom just started making arrangements and I transferred some clothes from suitcase to backpack. Therefore, my first week in the states was spent waking up early to bike in 115 degree heat, start drinking waaaay too early, rocking out to music, eating dollar store spaghetti o's and staying up way too long hanging out with long lost friends.
Tour De Michigan: Once back in Michigan, an interesting twist of fate made it possible for me to show my friend Lucy (whom I met in Cape Town, originally from London) all that Michigan has to offer. Our sightseeing included a trip to both Bells Brewery/ Eccentric Cafe and Waterstreet Cafe (two of my favorite places in Kalamazoo), viewing of the incredible Lake Michigan on our beach day in South Haven (it has been confirmed folks, it really does look like the sea), a night on the town complete with signature martini's in Grand Rapids, and a weekend of fun in my college town, Ann Arbor. It was so much fun sharing all that my state had to offer with someone who was seeing all these special places that make up my life with new eyes. I also had a blast connecting with old friends, despite the difficulty of telling stories through the giggling (apparently I picked up a bit of an accent from za that supposedly is hilarious, lets hope that passes soon). This whole week made me realize how great of a place I live in to begin with, and that I can appreciate even after being in such a different place for so long.
Floridaaa: Still having yet to catch up on my sleep since.... (man can't even remember the last time I slept a full night) I woke up after a long night due to car trouble in Ann Arbor to take a few more hours to transfer clothes into yet another suitcase. My saving grace this time was that my sister's closet was at the destination of this trip and so it didn't matter quite so much if I forgot something because I will most likely steal all her clothes anyway (definitely came in handy because I'm not even sure if I was completely awake and coherent when I packed this time). So now I am in sunny, well more like rainy Florida catching up with my dad and sister. This will be my time to reenergize, relax, and consume my weight in Mexican food.
Its been incredibly weird to be back here in the states, but its been kind of fun to see familiar things with new eyes. I catch so much of the "classic American" things that I took for granted or didn't notice before, and find myself laughing at what some of my South African friends would think about these small town nuances. Seriously man, only in America.
My heart is definitely missing Cape Town and all the friends I left there, but I have been very thankful for the ability to jump right into traveling and exploring here to keep myself occupied. Having Cape Town friends here to reconnect with has also helped, but I know that its going to take some time coming down from such a wonderful life experience. Thank goodness for the internet, the world is definitely a much smaller place when you know that despite the miles you still have a way to stay close to your friends :)
