Roadtrips.

So we are on another road trip, but this one isn’t to the airport, this one is to Lake Malawi. The weather is a bit iffy today, and by iffy I mean cloudy and a bit cool, but still in the 70s. It was also sprinkling a little this morning. I love road trips. I don’t quite know what it is about them, but I just love them. I love seeing new terrain. I love covering so much ground and speeding down the road. However, there have been a few moments on this road trip where I wanted to jump out of the car simply to take a picture of something that I deemed picture worthy. However, car pictures will have to suffice.

Peter informed me this morning that we had surpassed the halfway point for our time in Africa. I didn’t really want to talk about it. Over breakfast he asked me what I would miss most about this place, and to be honest I told him that I would miss spending so much time with him. I mean we see each other every day, and we spend nearly every moment together and I will miss that. At home, life gets in the way, there are things to do, work to be done, movies to watch, people to see, tv shows to watch (is the Biggest Loser over yet??). I will miss the intentional time. However, Peter will be coming home with me, so I have to think of something else that I will miss. To be honest, I will miss the simplicity of life. I will miss the bright colors and the beautiful people. I will miss the heat. I will miss the double bed, fans, mosquito net and even bug spray! I will miss the uncertainty of hot showers. I will miss having my meals cooked for me. But mostly, I will miss learning about a country, culture, and its people.

So today will be spent at the Lake – we brought our bathing suits, one little towel, the camera, sun screen, sunglasses, and some snacks of course! I was just informed that the 2 hour journey to the Lake was quickly coming to an end.

Well we are on our way back from the Lake, and I can honestly say I had such a wonderful time today! My skin feels a little tight and toasty, so I am thinking I am slightly burned. We took TONS of photos and after much coaxing I got Peter to put his suit on with me and we went for a dip in the lake. The lake reminded me of the ocean because of the current and the waves. It was nice to see water again and it made me realize how much I LOVE living so close to water. I grew up in a house that is right on the water. My parents have another house on the Hood Canal, but even before that property we spent our summers on Bainbridge Island in another house on the water. When I studied abroad, I studied in Mexico, and lived in a place that was literally right on the water. Even when I moved to Ireland, I was still close to water. Are you getting the point? I love water – I love the smell of the ocean. I love the sound of the waves. I love the sand beneath my toes and the water on my feet. I have never lived anywhere that is entirely landlocked and I don’t know if I ever will. So it was wonderful to see water today!

On our way out of town we stopped to buy African treasures. Everyone bargains here, but to be honest, I have a really hard time with that. I mean Peter and I truly don’t have that much money (especially after this trip!!!), but these people have even less than we do, which is crazy to think about!! Our one purchase could keep them going for a whole month, so that’s why I have a hard time bargaining. So I let Peter do all the talking and all the bargaining. But it’s hard because everyone wants you to come into their shop and check out their items. Kind of reminds me of Mexico!

This afternoon we walked away with some elephant bookends, a wood map of Africa, and a drum. Love the drum, but I am going to need some drumming lessons from the locals before our drum makes it’s way back to the states! They had so many cool items like a chess board on a table, a big carved box, carved chairs, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to buy any of them because I am such a practical shopper. Before I buy anything I have to figure out where it is going to go, which is hard considering we are currently living in a tiny apartment that doesn’t have that much wall space. But some of the things we have purchased for the future – like the bookends – they are cool and I wanted them, but we don’t even have a bookshelf right now! But it’s for the future, when we have a bigger place with more space and tons of bookshelves for our endless supply of books. See this is how I rationalized that purchase.

Anyhow, we are heading home now and the sun is setting. I must say, I LOVE sunsets. Peter is always teasing me about my love for sunsets. Watching the sunset is truly a beautiful event for me, and I find it so very satisfying! Well lets just say the sunsets here are nothing short of spectacular…EVERY single night without faith the sun sets and the colors that shoot across the sky are simply magnificent! It was a beautiful way to end such a beautiful day.