Africa or Bust (hopefully not both)

As this blog posts, I should be landing in Johannesburg, South Africa as part of the MBA program's required international residency.  My trip centers around the consulting/research project I am doing with a group of fellow-MBA's for the Global Environment Fund (an environmentally focused investment fund).

However, as the saying goes, "all work and no play, makes M bored;" therefore, I am taking plenty of time to explore the country.

As you can see from the map, M will take 7 flights over 2.5 weeks.  Starting with my 18 hour direct flight to Johannesburg (the country's commercial hub), I'll then skip down to Durban (SA's 3rd largest city) for some beach time and new adventures.  After a weekend there, it is back to Johannesburg for a week's worth of school activities and touring.  Capping off that week will be C's arrival on Friday night.

From there, C and M are off to Sabi Sands private game reserve for a 3-day safari with friends (fun).  Then our vacation takes us off to the funky and modern Cape Town (which should be spectacular).  Finally, it's back to Johannesburg (or just the airport), for our 18 hour flight back home!


Hopefully, by the time you're reading this I've landed in South Africa and am having a great time!  Write to you all upon my return (if not sooner).

A Quick Trip to Vancouver

C's favorite Winter Olympic sport - snowboarding & skiing events
M's favorite Winter Olympic sport - curling

As luck would have it, this past weekend USA Curling sponsored a curling event in DC offering C and M an opportunity to try their luck at M's favorite sport (as C and M won't be partaking in snowboarding and skiing until post-Bean). 

C and M took to the ice (it was actually an oil-slicked plastic test field) Sunday afternoon in a battle-royale against two ladies who thought they could rule the house...after a practice throw, we schooled them and showed that midwesterns are the nation's best curlers!

Here's our photos:

C, starting off our win

 

M, bringing it home

Most Romantic Valentine's Day Ever

When C asked me what I wanted to do for valentine's day weekend, I thought long and hard.  Ultimately, I thought of the most romantic weekend possible...

It would start with a trip.  Next it would include a bunch of chocolates, a cozy fireplace, and being snowed in.  Finally, it needed to be topped off with a lot of Harley's, a yappy-biting dog, and 8 other friends.  Sheesh, does it get any more romantic.

Our VD/President's Day weekend centered around a trip to the Poconos (in PA) to see a couple of our good friends from Wash U (and before).  To entertain us on our drive, C & I decided to stop off in York, PA on to tour the Harley Davidson factory.  We got to ride a couple (stationary) motorcycles, walk the factory floor, and watch them assemble the iconic American ride.

 

 Us, out for a ride through the factory

 While in York, we also stopped at the Wolfgang Chocolate Factory.  We thought, "How exciting, chocolate and candy on VD weekend!"  Wrong.  Wolfgang makes the generic (and not so good) chocolates sold at CVS and Walgreens.  The tour was still interesting, though, we were able to see how they make the hollow chocolate easter bunnies (on a crazy machine that spins the mold really fast, forcing the chocolate to the outside, leaving it hollow in the middle - Papa would have been so excited) and watched generic gummy bears go into a hopper.

 

Finally, we made it to our destination, a snowy lodge in the woods, alongside a frozen lake, where we spent the weekend with a bunch of friends.

Our cozy Cabin

Our Lodge-mates

Check out the rest of our photos here...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Well, it has finally stopped snowing here in Arlington after only 34 hours!  Our best estimate is about 25 inches of accumulation; however, because of the wind we saw snowbanks up to our waist!

Before it stopped snowing, C and I went outside for a little adventure, you can see all of our pics here.   But, here's a couple of highlights:

The view out of our 2nd bedroom window

 

In snow up to my waist @ a stop sign

C in the middle of our street, the plow went through a 

 few hours before (could hardly tell though)

Video and more pics coming soon...