Marafiki wa zamani - Old Friends

I think I'm starting to get excited! Its about time!

I may have just found a cheaper alternative in regards to accommodation, but I'll have to check it out ahead of time. Make sure it's close enough to Amani, safe, and has interwebs. I would have my own room, so that would be really nice. I am staying at Hostel Hoff for the month of January though, it is very westernized, and comes with built in friends! So that will be a nice transition. The only thing I would worry about if I stayed at the Kilimanjaro Inn is that I wouldn't have as many people to hang out with. I also need to ask if I can book long term, since online it only seems to show 31 days at a time. Lots of "ifs," but it seems worth checking out when I arrive.

Brockley, where I've been staying with friends in London.

I just realized that I leave London Wednesday night, not morning, so I have another whole day here! I've been around some of the places I used to frequent, and walked by where I used to live. It's a very strange feeling, I can't really describe it. It feels normal, being with all my old friends, going to the pub, chatting for ages in the kitchen. But, it's strange that it feels normal, so much in my life has changed since I left London in June of 2010.

I booked a flight home! I didn't realize until right before I left Massachusetts that I can take at least 3 travel weeks during my 6 month volunteer time. If I had realized that before, I would have just booked a round trip flight, which, as it turns out, costs half as much as what I ended up booking...but oh well, no changing that now. And if I had booked round trip I wouldn't have been able to stop in London! I booked a flight for July 1st, stop in Kenya, then Rome, then Washington D.C., then I will be in Boston on July 2nd! Just in time to go down the Cape for the 4th of July and get some quality family time.

I really did have a wonderful Christmas this year. Maybe knowing that you're going away makes seeing family that much more exciting, I'm not sure, but I just had a wonderful time! With my family as well as John's.

I'm at a different friend's in London now. From Wednesday-this morning (Monday) I stayed with British friends, the same people that I used to live with. Now I'm with an American friend who did the same study abroad program that I did back in 2009-10.

I am missing everyone, but the way I see it, January will be over by the time I'm settled in Moshi town, so I'll have two months until John visits. Then after he leaves about 2 months until I get home. Slightly unrealistic, I know, there are a couple weeks unaccounted for there, but I think it is a healthy way to look at things.