I'm still in New York...

I leave for Johannesburg, South Africa on October 26th, so this posting is merely blog practice for me. My leave of absence from Alston & Bird begins tomorrow -- after 8 years there, it seems strange to not be going back on Monday, although I couldn't be more excited for what lies ahead.


But first, I head to Springfield, Missouri, where I grew up, to spend a little time with friends and family and get my fill of some good midwestern meals, such as the breakfast platters served at Aunt Martha's Pancake House (again, practice, posting of random picture, a real breakfast, yes, but nothing to do with Africa). Then, its back to New York to continue saying good-bye and figure out how to fit my entire apartment into a 5x8x8 storage unit, and a years' worth of clothes and shoes into two suitcases.


Also, I'm trying to read as many of the books people recommended I read before arriving in South Africa: Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane; The Mind of South Africa and Tomorrow is Another Country by Allister Sparks; Race Against Time by Stephen Lewis; and any of the books in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith.


Since this blog is not supposed to be about me, Missouri, or my shoes, I'll be back again when I've wrapped up everything in New York and I've landed in Africa...hopefully with my luggage, and all the new electronic equipment I'm lugging with me, entact...

Thanks to my friend Kate for the Aunt Martha's pic!