Embark

Finally, the day has arrived. No, not *that* big day, but the other one I've been eagerly anticipating: today I am leaving Maputo en route to Rio.

I have a hundred things to pull together this morning before getting on the plane, including packing what is perhaps the world's most challenging suitcase (wedding + Rio in winter + Vietnam in hot steamy summer + transit time in freezing-ass Joburg). In all, though, I am ready to go.

This is all quite a bit surreal to me still. I had my bachelorette celebration this past weekend, and I had to keep reminding myself it was to commemorate this giant event in my life and not just any other girls' weekend at the spa. It was a lovely trip, by the way. Summerfields Spa is incredible, located in the middle of a working rose and macadamia farm on the banks of the Sabie River just outside Hazyview. We all had treatments on outdoor tables with the rushing river as a soundtrack. It was so divine it melted away all stress, including that which had accumulated during the, shall we say, "scenic route" we mistakenly took to get to the spa.

Well, I must get to it. I have tea to drink, clothes to pack, a bank to visit, and cat litter to purchase. I am incredibly excited, trying to focus on the tasks of the moment rather than the superstition/paranoia that is lurking just below the surface.

Last night I dreamt that Rico and I decided to take a midnight expedition in Rio, hiking up mountainsides and sneaking about through favelas to reach our destination, the National Library. We visited the library at night, and roamed around together in the colonial building listening to the echo of our footprints and marveling at the endless shelves of precious books. We slid down the banisters of the massive staircase in the Library foyer, and giggled to ourselves as we hid from the roaming security guards. At one point, however, I realized that our midnight expedition qualified as a Trip, and that I had neglected to say my travel prayer. At this point the Library had opened, and Rico and I were standing in the midst of university students and tourists. I said my travel prayer out loud, and burst into tears it moved me so much.

You can be sure I'm going to say that prayer multiple times over the next day as I make my way across the world...