8 months in...

Again, I apologize for being such a terrible blogger. Does anyone even check this anymore? I'm thinking of trying to write a bit more frequently, so if you do keep tabs on this page at all, let me know.
I just arrived back at my site a couple days ago after a 3 week road-trip. Kristin DeSantis, my long-time high-school friend was here visiting, and needless to say, we made the most of it. My closest Peace Corps buddies, Meg & Mike, spent the weekend of my birthday in Bloemfontien, South Africa with me and then we picked Kristin up from the airport. We rented a car and travelled (google a Southern-Africa map!) from Bloemfontein to Pretoria to Tofu, Mozambique, where we stayed for 4 nights at a beach-front "backpacker's" called Fatima's Nest; by far the most beautiful place I've vacationed at, ever. We rode horses on the beach and in the surrounding villages, played soccer on the beach with the local kids, bought some souvineers at the market, and ate the freshest seafood imaginable. Meg, Kristin and I then continued on through Swaziland, where Kristin was chased by an ostrich, to Coffee Bay, South Africa, where we spent another 3 nights hiking along the coast, getting drum/bongo lessons from our fellow "backpackers," and watching traditional dance. From there we ventured onto Cape Town, South Africa, where we spent the remaining week before Kristin departed back to the States. I recommend Cape Town to anyone who enjoys a laid-back city scene. We shopped at the waterfront, took a day-trip to Robben Island, where Mr. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, took wine tour in and around Stellenbosch, saw 3 movies (we volunteers don't often get the opportunity to sit in a movie theater) and partied it up with the English/Scottish "Lions" fans who were in town for the big rugby tournament. My bank account is empty, we got 3 flat tires and 2 speeding tickets along the course of the trip, but it was all worth it. I feel so lucky to have Kristin visit me here in Africa, and even luckier to have the great parents I have help fund the adventure. Did I mention that we saw zebras, warthogs, monkeys, rabbits, dolphins, and whales too? I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked because my camera kept dying, but there are some posted on facebook.
So, now I'm back in Butha-Butha at my site. There is snow on the mountain-tops... and I'm freezing! It's hard to imagine summer is beginning at home. School doesn't start again until August so I have a good month before any "real" work starts again. I'm in the process of finishing my African Library Project application so I can start building my classroom libraries. In a couple weeks I will be heading down to Maseru to help Meg with some workshops at the College, but for now I will be enjoying some down-time relaxing and reading in my rondavel. PS- Harry Potter 5 is the best so far! ;)
I hope all is well at home. Congats again to Josh and Carla on their new arrival, Connor!... Good luck in Madrid, Cara... Welcome "home" soon, Patrick... and thanks for the legos, everyone who has been collecting and sending; they are so appreciated!
Love you all and I will try to write more often,
Nic.