SA + The Air

I’ve been meaning to write for quite some time about my upcoming trip to South Africa. There are at least 4 major reasons why I’m excited for this adventure set to begin on May 17, 2012.

1) I’ve never been to South Africa or Mozambique and I love being new places as well as marking off notches on my travel-the-world belt.

2) I’m going to see Moira’s (not so) new life and finally meet Gabor, her fiancé.

3) I’m going to spend 10 days with Sarah, Sylia, Moira, and for a few days Susie. These are 4 of my favorite people on the planet. Sarah, Sylia, and Moira have all gotten engaged in the past 6 weeks. I will be bringing along a video camera to document the new reality series, “Bridezilla: African Adventure.”

4) This one might be the most important. I used to take off to new places at the drop of a hat. Nothing could stop me from jetting off to explore. My life has changed a lot since my early 20s and so, at least until I’m retired and Johan’s in college, I’m not going to have the same freedom of movement. Responsibilities are good. I have the most amazing kid and a job I love. I wouldn’t trade them in even for free round-the-world travel until the end of time. But, once I ended up on my own last year, I realized that I had fallen away from many things that were once important, or even defining, for me. One of those was international travel. I realized all I ever did was go to the Dominican Republic to see my in-laws. Not a bad trip, but not an adventure. What about what I want to do? What moves me? When Susie moved to Mozambique, just a 4 hour drive from Moira’s home in Johannesburg, I thought to myself, the old Kristina would have been on a plane straight away to have a new adventure. (This is not “ The New Adventures of Old Christine”). After talking with Sarah about it, we decided to go. And, of course, take our 3rd brother, Sylia, with us. So, I feel like this trip represents something bigger than the actual days or dollar amount. It’s me reclaiming, if only a little bit, some pieces of me that I let fall by the wayside while I was married to Eduardo. I’m still a lawyer and I’m still Johan’s mom. Those things haven’t changed and they never will. But this lawyer who is Johan’s mom sometimes is going to go on big wild adventures with her best friends and never stop pushing the limits.

So, yeah. South African and Mozambique. I can’t wait.

As referenced above, there must be something in the air, since 3 of my closest girlfriends have decided to tie the knot (knots?) since Christmas time. What lucky fellows these guys are who get to spend their lives with such extraordinary women. I better start shopping for dresses soon. And in the same vein, I’m feeling hopeful that I just may have someone to bring as my date to all these upcoming weddings. Something is in the air for me, too. I’m not engaged or even close to that, but I’m seeing someone. As that someone so concisely and wonderfully described last week, “we’re together.” And I’m sure happier than I’ve been since I can remember. I’ll take this air any day.