Endings and new beginnings

Hello hello!
It's been a while since my last post, so thanks for bearing with me. Somehow I find that the less I write, the less I am inclined to write. But I will try to break that pattern.
I arrived at Victoria Falls with my overland group at about noon today. We spent the afternoon galavating along the incredible vistas, getting soaked by the spray, and listening to Vic Falls' notorious "thunder." Talk about an unbelievable place. The magnitude and breadth of water rushing over the falls is so awe-inspiring that it could make even the staunchest atheist believe in a higher power. It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip thus far, and, timely enough, its conclusion. The day after tomorrow I am hopping a bus from Livingstone, Zambia to Lilongwe, Malawi to begin my brief period of volunteer work at a Malawian school. The school is located inside Liwonde National Park, meaning its definitely going to be rural in the wildest sense of the word - Liwonde is known for is abundant hippo and elephant populations.
The organization is called H.E.L.P. Malawi - you can visit their website at www.helpmalawichildren.org.

I first heard about the organization from an Israeli guy named Yiftach who I met in Vilanculos, Mozambique. I mentioned that I have really been wanting to do some volunteer work while I am here in Africa, but most of the programs charge you as much as $2500 for two weeks, which is absurd. I have a moral issue with my having to pay to volunteer my time... it just doesn't sit right with me. Yiftach mentioned that he had met the founder of this organization and that she was looking to find teachers for the organizations fledgling school. Ironically, she happens to be an American housewife from Ohio who has dedicated her entire life savings to start this organization, and she travels back and forth between Malawi and Ohio, where she has three kids. I am very excited to get involved, and it sounds like the volunteers there are very excited to have me.

I am sad that this tour is ending, as I have made a lot of friends and enjoyed the laid back, hands-off traveling. But my anticipation for the next three weeks far outweighs my sadness, and I am ready to be off on my own once again. Each chapter of this "Africa-quest" has been entirely unique and complementary to the next, so I know that what comes will be full of excitement and adventures.

It is crazy to think that, exactly one year ago yesterday, I graduated from college. I can't believe its already been an entire year?! I have a journal entry that I will excerpt here eventually to explain my thoughts on it in more detail, but the long and short of it is... if one year ago I had been able to see myself now, I would have been overwhelmed with excitement and pride. I am really here, I am doing this, I am living and loving every moment to the fullest. It dawned on me a few days ago when I was riding in a mokoro - a traditional Botswanan dugout wood canoe - through the Okavango Delta. It was one of the paramount reasons I wanted to come on this trip. I remember sitting on my bed late at night with the heat of my laptop burning the top of my covers, looking up pictures and maps of the Delta. At that point, making it as far as the Okavango Delta in Botswana seemed almost like a complete and utter pipe dream. I had no idea if I would be able to make it in Africa for that long, let alone to make it that far. It was an amazing moment to realize that I am really living my dreams.

Indeed, a cheesy success story if there ever was one....