and an african update

Well, two things: I've got my visa for Benin now, so all that's left to do is get the plane tickets. And secondly, now I know for sure that I will have internet access from home in Africa, which means that I'll actually be able to maintain regular contact with the rest of the world. #Insert sigh of relief here.#

4 hrs, 54 min, 56 sec... 42.195 km!

Exactly one week ago, almost to the minute, I finished the Copenhagen Marathon. Scratch that one off the list of life goals. I have to admit, after training for only two months, I was more than a little shocked to reach the end within my 5 hour goal, and with enough energy left to walk to Central Station. In fact, I think I probably could have finished 15 to 20 minutes sooner if I were a bit more experienced at judging my enegry levels. But that's not to say I'm not pleased. Honestly, I was just hoping to finish. Wait, not even. I was just hoping to have the guts to show up on race-day. And I think that if I hadn't told so many people of my plan to run, I might not have. Well, that and the fact that I paid 500 DKK to enter. So thank you to all who believed in me. And thank you even more to all those who didn't. Nothing's more motivational than the opportunity to prove people wrong.

Really though, it just felt like a very long run. A very long run with a whole lot of other people cutting you off for the first couple of hours. Ha, ha! First couple of hours. Sounds funny, doesn't it? And I reached the end thinking, "Okay, it's over now," and it took full a minute or longer for the impact of it all to properly sink in. And then I thought, "This definitely isn't going to become a habit," but now I'm catching myself googling marathons in Africa. Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. These things happen one step at a time after all.

It's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood... won't you be my neighbour?

Last night T and I moved back into the kollegium as the flat's been sold and we're basically homeless until we reach Benin. While this is just a temporary residence, I already miss sleeping on a properly-sized bed (two people on a 90 x 200 isn't so fun... how did we do that for two months???) and having my own kitchen. There will be no more eating breakfast in my pyjamas, experimental cooking I would never try in front of someone else, or making a dozen brownies that last more than 5 minutes. I understand Gondul's longing for her old life in Frederiksberg in a whole new light now.

But at the same time, it's kind of nice to be back amongst all my friends during my last few days in Denmark. And the school is only a 5 minute walk away, meaning that I might actually get some work done. Besides, it just feels right to be back here again, ending this whole experience where it began. There's something about moving back into Grønjords that has made it really hit home that I'm going to be leaving this all behind, saying goodbye to all the people that have made the last two years special - well, all except for one, of course. And I miss everyone already. But I guess I shouldn't be too melancholy; it sounds like I've talked many of them into coming to visit :-) See you tonight at Tivoli!

It's all good.

Random thought (or maybe not so random...) on the nature of the world and we within it:

Life has this funny way of knowing what's best for us even when we don't. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for our feeble little minds to catch up.

Okay, I'm obviously not very good at this... yet

After a couple of months of not writing - wait, no, several months without a word - it's become clear to me that I'm obviously not very good at this whole blogging thing. But that's got to change, and fast, because in less than a month this blog will be one of my only means of staying connected to the "real" world and all the people I once knew within it.

Announcement: I'm moving to Africa. Africa? Yes, Africa. Why? Why Not. Well, that and there's this Danish guy I'm rather quite fond of (you may have heard) and he's taking me with him... :-)

While this is going to be adventurous, fun and exciting and all that, I'm not delusional about how hard it's going to be. I see many lonely hours ahead of me in a country where I can't yet communicate with anyone and I spend most of my day at home in a big empty flat, worrying about whether or not I have malaria.

So I think I'll fill the time, or at least some of it, by telling you all about the voodoo nonsense I just witnessed at the market, or how awkward it is to have a cook/maid (apparently she kind of comes with the place) that you can't even speak to, and how hot, hot, HOT it is outside.

At least I'll have my thesis to keep me company. Might have to follow kimananda's lead and name him. I'm going to need a friend. And I suppose I'll also have French. Now there's a challenge.

But for now, it's vaccinations (Tetanus, Hep A, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, and Cholera all in one day), visas, plane tickets, and packing. Oh, and of course, worrying. Worrying incessantly about things I have absolutely no control over. At least then you're mentally prepared :)