78uuu lumière des étoiles

Dusty:Starlight:Culture



The Long Good-Bye
2004-07-03   1:23 p.m.

Wow, trying to talk to South Africans on the phone from Northern NJ sure is fun. So is trying to wire transfer money from the Fleet – Clifton Branch, of course – to the Brakencity branch of the National Trust Bank of Johannesburg. We’ll figure it out, though, it’s what we always do.

I feel like I have so much to do, but I know that feeling is really only all in my head. I do have to find a better sleeping bag this week, and I do have to force myself to remember to wear my new walkies so they break in enough before I try to go hiking up to Victoria Falls and get blisters. Other than that, what? Pack? I’m a pro by now. Stop the mail? Done it a million times before, takes five minutes. Pay bills in advance? Done.

It is kind of exhilarating, to be honest – a fun, chaotic and reckless (though safe) feeling of unknown happenings. I have no idea how everything will go; we’re going into countries that are well traveled, but we’re also going into some that aren’t. I have absolutely no idea how to convert the Botswanian Pula or the Zambian Kwacha to dollars. In fact, I’m not even sure how to say “Pula” or “Kwacha”. I have no idea what I might forget, or how I’m going to be able to fit my sleeping bag in with the rest of my things. But like Steve always says, there’s something about that feeling of having everything you own on your back, temporarily, and realizing that’s all you really need. It’s mind-blowing, also, to come home to your apartment full of stuff and realize that if half of it burned up you wouldn’t even notice. A visceral reality-check, you wonder why you get so easily sucked in to consumerism.

So what I have been doing is drowning out my obsession over preparation by surrounding myself with my friends, people whom I won’t see until the Fall and whom I’m really going to miss. Last night the Yarotsky twins threw a great backyard party for themselves in celebration of their birthday, getting everyone in one place all at one time. I was really happy that my ex-boyfriend decided to come, after all – it's almost his birthday and I got to talk to him for quite awhile, which has been an impossibility over the last few months because of everyone’s busy schedule. Steve and John had some nice bonding moments, so did Bruno and Cheryl, and Sean bounced forever on the giant trampoline John and Julie bought for themselves a few birthdays back. Everyone seemed to have a mellow, good time, which is great; I don’t know how much I’m going to be able to see everyone again before I go, and I love ending things on a good note. Sunday I’m headed to my brother’s for a bbq so we can spend time with my family (and play with my nephew, eeee!) and then we’re going over to a pub in Jersey City to see a few more friends and maybe catch some fireworks. The University is closed on Monday, so Steve and I will probably ride our bikes.

Leaving this way always makes us want to come home desperately at the end of a trip – but for the people, not because we miss our own shower and the convenience of Western supermarkets. Leaving this way removes the temptation to call our bosses and say we’ve gotten jobs in Cape Town and won’t be returning to work. Maybe someday that will happen, but only if everyone we know and love moves to Cape Town too.

Xo,