Hey, guess what? I SURVIVED 4.5 MONTHS IN AFRICA!

I flew back to the States last week on Qatar Airways — departing Johannesburg on a red-eye to Doha, and then hopping on a 13-hour flight to JFK.

The plane out of Johannesburg is the newest I’ve even been on — there weren’t even shades on the windows; they’d been replaced by little buttons that change the opacity of the window glass to block out light. The future is here.

I woke up to this view and grabbed my camera — I’d never seen such pretty colors from a plane — before realizing that the window glass was responsible, not nature.

The airport in Doha, Qatar is brand spanking new and it was a delight to travel through here. Qatar Airways had the best deals when I booked a few weeks ago — I only paid $450 to fly from Joburg to JFK! And it was $300 from Joburg to London (I was tempted). Their rates are really competitive.

Honestly, my next 13-hour flight to JFK felt WAY too long. I normally love lengthy plane rides because I get so much accomplished up there, without distractions like the internet or the ability to walk around and eat food. I just sit in my seat and either sleep or do work. But for 13 hours?! I watched a few movies and tons of various TV show episodes. Then slept some more.

I woke up to commotion at one point — we were flying over Greenland and other passengers were excitedly pointing to the landscape. Pretty impressive, right?

And then before I knew it after a dozen endless hours we landed at JFK. Hallelujah!

A few days later I had my first pumpkin spice latte in nearly a year and felt the need to document it with a photo. Bliss.

REFLECTION

I saw and did SO MUCH on this trip. I rose to the challenge of camping for three months on overland journeys, climbed Kilimanjaro, did a fair amount of solo travel in Ethiopia and South Africa. I didn’t fall behind on my blog. I wasn’t robbed and didn’t lose my electronics. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am impressed with myself for arranging and following through on such a gargantuan undertaking that was merely a dream six months ago. And I saved money and gained confidence by pitching my photo and blogging skills to travel companies while building my site / portfolio and professional skills. I am proud of me! And really grateful that it all worked out.

Feeling mixed emotions as this adventure wraps up, both of a bittersweet and blessed nature. It hasn’t sunk in that it’s over. I haven’t had time to process it as these last few weeks in South Africa have been go-go-go. I wonder if it’ll hit me tomorrow or next week or next month that this Africa chapter — which has been at times both frustrating and incredibly rewarding — has drawn to a close.

That said, it’s the right move. I’m genuinely excited to be back in the States. I’m thrilled to experience the final vestiges of fall foliage, see my family, attend some Broadway shows, catch new movies, and work on my blog without pressure of planning my next destination. It’s so nice to come back before the rush of the holiday season begins. And I’m in a good state of mind about my future, with one exciting project on the horizon — tomorrow I begin a five-week gig working on Peter Pan Live, which will air on NBC on December 4th. Remember Sound of Music Live, which was unabashedly criticized when it aired last year? Well I unabashedly loved it and I’m so stoked to be involved in the next installment. This production combines two things I love — multi-cam drama (like soaps!) and theater. The broadcast will be directed by Glenn Weiss, who directs the Tony Awards each year. And I’ve never worked on a live show before! I can’t wait; November should be a busy and exciting month.

And after that? Who knows! I hope to do some more production work next year to replenish my bank account. And then more travel for sure, whether it’s short-term or long term I have yet to figure out. But I feel good about whatever happens next.

Thanks for reading, friends! I have many more months of Africa content to share and I can’t wait to show you more of the beautiful places I visited.

XO, Erica