The Real Deal.

Couldn't sleep last night. Program tomorrow. Giddy, like a kid on christmas morning. Definitely ready to leave the BPR after going to sleep hungry and waking the next morning to the guy who told me, at 6:30 in the morning, that he needed at least two people to make a pot of coffee. One, "whatever dude" later, I almost cried on the way back to my room praying to whoever is up there that the next month of my life was not playing someones burden.
Fast forward a bit passed a silent airport ride, and inedible African Subway airport sandwich, and one more gum point for me from the guy, Earl (I swear that was really his name) who sat next to me on African Airways.
Tobs picked me up at the airport and took me to Buccaneers where I would stay a few days before volunteering. He said, with 'i know this girl will pee her pants when i say this' excitement, "I hope you like animals!" I almost peed my pants.
He pulled over the van for everything that moved and I took a picture of everything that moved. I met a guy from Brazil, a photographer, who was in Africa on a job.
I rode with the window open letting the eastern cape of south africa play with my hair.
NOW THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!
We went over one hill and i knew this was the one. At the peak, I could see the cliffs and the crashing waves of East london, South Africa. I laughed. Hysterically. Maybe because at that point i finally realized what was going on around me was actually real. It was actually happening. It was not a dream. It was not a check, or a credit card number. It was not twenty five covered bar shifts. It wasnt just a subletter and a dog sitter. This was the real deal.