Through the Looking Glass...

It looks like I'm finally going to Africa. The dates haven't been set yet, but the plan is emerging slowly - a few weeks in late June / early July in South Africa and Madagascar.

It's been a toss-up between South Africa and India for the last few years, since I have good friends in both places and would only be able to do one big trip (expensive airfare, and requires a lot of time) like this per year. Jane was up for another trip (I love it that she's become this ballsy world traveler!), and once we hammered out a tentative timeframe, we realized that it would be too hot in India this time of year - so South Africa it is.

And then Coolman stepped forward with an out-of-this-world job opportunity in Madagascar... so, of course, Madagascar was added to the itinerary (because, you know, when would you ever have the opportunity again to hang out with Coolman in his high-falutin' world in Madagascar!?).

My neice and nephew were visiting me in DC a few weeks ago... Ben and I ran away into the African Plains section of the Natural History Museum, where we looked taxedermic zebras and cheetahs. We stood in front of a map, where I pointed out my forthcoming travels to my 4 year old nephew. He looked up at me with big eyes, and said "Madagascar?!" as though I was going to step through the looking-glass and enter a cartoon world of dancing hyenas (or whatever starred in that movie). A week later, while we were talking on the phone, he said to me, "Gogo (because that's what he calls me), can I go to Africa with you?" to which I instantly responded "Yes!" One of my principal missions, as an Aunt, is to cultivate whatever curiosity about the world my neices and nephew demonstrate, and bring them out into that world whenever it seems appropriate. I would love to take him to Africa. It won't happen soon, but I'd love to have that opportunity.