Always Late But Worth The Wait - 2013 Recap

Where on Earth has this year gone??!?  I think most of you know now that I'm pretty terrible with keeping up with a regular posting schedule, but this is just ridiculous.. half way through the year and not ONE post?? I am a bit disappointed in myself, but I just really can't believe where the months have gone! In an effort to catch you up on the 2014 goings-on so far I am afraid I'm going to cut the text down to a short story as opposed to my usual unabridged novels, and entertain you with more of a photo journal. As soon as I feel I have adequately caught you up to date, I will carry on with my more than detailed recounts of my adventures in Zim.

Let's see, where did we leave off...   ah yes, just before the end of 2013. First here is a small recap of the first half of 2013:

Got an amazing opportunity to hang out with a few kind elephants and witnessed one of my best friends getting proposed to by her lovely boyfriend in stunning Mozambique!

Absolutely unforgettable "Bike Trip" with the boys last July (weekend of the 4th), and just goofing off....

The Holiday season was full of festive parties and countless trips into the bush. It was my first time to be away from home during a time like this and I will say that the feelings were a little mixed. It was just so strange to be celebrating Thanksgiving (yes, good friends who own a restaurant were delighted to host a dinner for this American tradition), and leading up to Christmas wearing shorts and sunbathing! It was very nice to be so warm don't get me wrong, I hate the cold, but at the same time it was difficult to get into the holiday spirit when it felt like the middle of June! But nonetheless, the house was decorated with trees and garland and, much to Cuan's dislike, songs of Bing Crosby and Dean Martin echoed through the house even before Thanksgiving...

Christmas this year was spent with Cuan's mom and family up in Mkushi, Zambia. We spend a lovely week with them on the farm and for the first time I was one of the "adults" watching the kids open gifts on Christmas morning! It was really an incredible experience and I felt very welcomed and at home with the Meikle family. They made me feel so comfortable and knew how sensitive I might be during my first Christmas away from home. It was different but beautiful and so lovely to see the traditions of another family. On Christmas day after indulging in an amazing meal, (the "pig on the spit" was still delicious even though it feel off the spit!) Cuan, myself and the younger sisters took boxes of gifts to the families who live and work on Steve’s farm. It was such a special experience, and felt really good to give those small children something on Christmas, however small. Our little gifts meant so much to them! It really put a big perspective on how lucky we are and truly made us grateful and appreciate the meaning of the holiday. 

The days after Christmas were spent relaxing in the pool, playing volleyball by the dam, and taking a day trip to a stunning waterfall! After saying our goodbyes, Cuan and I got in the truck for the long trip back town to Zim for New Years!

New Year's was spent back in Zimbabwe at Squirrel and Cat's house in Harare. The theme of "I can't believe you wore that" brought some veeerrry entertaining and interesting guests! We partied the night away, literally, watching the sun rise on the first day of 2014. Needless to say I didn't see much of the rest of the day as I needed to catch up on my beauty sleep! Definitely an excellent way to ring in the new year... 

Up next: Recap of my trip back home in January-February! It will come soon I promise...