AFRICA!!!!

I just arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. I am exhausted! The flight was 14.5 hours from NYC, mostly during the night. I am slightly jet lagged, as my body is adjusted to 7 hours behind the actual time in Johannesburg, and mostly tired from pulling an all nighter in Philadelphia the night before we left. It was a great evening to get out and see Downtown Philly and enjoy a night with my fellow trainees. We had an AWESOME dinner at a sushi/hibachi place, very similar to Benihana. I finally got my sushi fix!! Some of my closest friends can tell you they had to listen to me complain about wanting sushi before I went to Africa, as it was... So I made it happen.

So about the flight: (Big plane, interactive screen in back of headrest, good movies and music, nice blankets and socks, good food!)
The plane was huge and the food was actually really good. They served us 2 complete meals (dinner and breakfast) and snacks in between. For dinner we had lamb in a curry sauce and rice and desert, while for breakfast I had eggs, potatoes, fruit, and yogurt. During the flight I watched a few movies (21 Jump Street, Man on a Ledge, and Contraband), listened to some good music, and slept a little. I expect I will sleep well in Dar tonight... The total flight distance ended up being right around 8,000 miles. It initially seemed like a very daunting task to travel that far, but here I am.. It is also a funny feeling knowing that I am on the other side of the world compared to a day ago. It feels surreal in a way. I feel as if the flight took FOREVER, but at the same time I feel as if I was just saying goodbye to my mom on the phone in NYC. Weird how my tired brain is having trouble comprehending these things..

Finally, the airport in Johannesburg is NICE! AND huge! Plus they have AWESOME COFFEE!!! I thanked the barista lady and told her it is hard to find such good and "real" coffee in the states. For now, I will wind the blog down since I am using someone else's computer, but I am glad that I can report a successful trip thus far. Fun flight, great airplane, good movies, good food, and a nice airport in Johannesburg. I AM IN AFRICA!!!! To all my friends and family back home, take care and I will blog again soon!