Final Day

Goodbye USA!

We are presently sitting at JFK awaiting the boarding call for SA flight 204 to JHB. The time here is 7 hours before the time on this post (US Eastern time). We took off from San Francisco around 10:20pm Western Time (is it Pacific Western time?), and landed here 6am'ish in JFK. It was about 6 hours of flying, but it was actually very comfortable - the Boeing 757-3 cabin flight we were on had ample leg room (even for under-seat storage AND legs), and the arm rests folded all the way back. It was very pleasant! Best flight I've ever had. Congratulations to United Airlines!

Kat is starting to fall ill, so we are praying she is okay for the marathon flight home.

I don't know how Kat feels right now (she's probably dreading the flight for other reasons, but wants to get home to bed), but I am rather sad to be going home. It's really strange, but when I sit here for SAA to go to JHB, and I watch all of these other people, my first reaction is "why are you coming to South Africa?" ... I don't want to sound at all unpatriotic, because I'm not. I'm proudly South African, but the problem is, there is a reality here. USA just works *better*, and it feels different. I've really enjoyed being able to walk around the neighbourhood at midnight on any night of the week and not feel at risk. Also, the presence of cops everywhere, accompanied by this general attitude that everyone has some rights, is a bit foreign to me. Oh, and of course the fact that shops stay open until late, so it's practical for working folk to still get shopping done outside of lunch breaks (and work starts 9am around most parts).

At any rate, I've loved our holiday; it's been a wonderful experience - to actually KNOW about these places you see on TV and the movies, and to actually EXPERIENCE the "other side" of the world, and see how it all operates, has been fantastic. I've loved spending time away from everything with just Kat. The two of us together, alone, has been really special, and I regret having not done this more often, sooner. I am determined to do this more often, and hopefully return to USA sooner rather than later. It's been a wonderful time, and I am very sad to be coming home - perhaps that's normal, but if not, forgive me for wanting to stay on over here some more! 20Mbps internet, convenient power points everywhere, WIFI connectivity almost EVERYWHERE, general safety all over the place - it's all great. I can't say the same for the quality of available food here, however :(

Goodbye USA - see you all back in the Promised Land soon!