Off to an interesting start...

Well, I'm finally here! After preparing and anticipating for 2 months or so, it's really happening. Crazy!

I have a week of free time before starting my student teaching - sometimes I forget I'm actually here for educational purposes. :) I haven't seen much of the city yet, but even if I had been driven all around the area, I wouldn't have noticed the sights. I was way too busy trying to adjust to 1) riding in the driver's seat as a passenger, and 2) going the wrong way on the road. At least I won't ever be the one driving down here. That, I'm sure, would turn disastrous real fast.

As of now, I've spent more time traveling to Port Elizabeth than actually being IN Port Elizabeth. I boarded a plane in Atlanta at 5:45am Eastern Time yesterday (Saturday) to catch a connecting flight in Washington DC. Side note: That was probably the best flight I've ever been on. Had the row to myself, saw the sun rise, no turbulence  Just great. From DC, I flew to New York City. Cut to me wandering aimlessly around one terminal in JFK because it is the most confusing airport I've ever been to. From there, I boarded a plane bound for Johannesburg, South Africa. All of this happened before noon. My flight from JFK took off at 11:15am Eastern Time on Saturday. I landed in Johannesburg 2:10am Eastern Time/8:10am South African Time on Sunday. That was a long flight.

This flight, that lasted for 14 hours and 35 minutes, would have been fine were it not for one factor: my personal TV was broken. Each seat came equipped with a small touch screen monitor, allowing passengers to choose what they wanted to watch (they could even listen to music). I would have been easily entertained if my monitor had actually been in working condition. But, of course, it was not. I could have watched multiple Matt Damon movies, silly childrens' movies, and EVEN BONES. But, nooooo! I had to be tortured by the girl in front of me who watched Bones and eventually leaned forward to block my view. Curses!

To top it all off, one of my suitcases went missing. I waited and waited and waited but all in vain. I reported it to the people at the baggage enquiries desk, wandered some more around the Johannesburg airport, then sat on the flight to Port Elizabeth worrying about how or when I would ever get my things back. My nail polish! My Jackie Kennedy brooch! My snuggie! Oh, and my asthma medicines, too.

When I get off the plane at Port Elizabeth and wait for my luggage... Lo and behold! My prized possessions had found their way to me after all! I don't know how that happened, but I'm not questioning it. I have my nail polish, my brooch, my medicine, and, most importantly, Napoleon the Snuggie.

Now, I'm all unpacked and ready to make a long, long list of the things I need to buy. One of my first and foremost questions about South Africa will finally be answered: "What's shopping like there?"