Leaving the US 10/11/12

GABBY:  After a bit of delirium waking up at 5:30 in the Ramseyer’s humble abode, I came to the realization that I was going to be in Cape Town in less than 48 hours from now.  I was actually returning to Cape Town after studying at UCT (University of Cape Town) for 5 months almost exactly 2 years ago.  What a surreal feeling to be journeying back to the place that became my home to many influential and vital moments that helped shape the 22 year old girl you see before you today.  And to be doing it with Ben!  What an amazing opportunity set before me.  We were driven to JFK by Joel.  One last Jersey Boy bagel breakfast sandwich of Taylor ham, egg and cheese and we were off to fight the rush hour traffic into NYC.  We arrived at JFK around 8:30 am and went through the long, drawn out process of getting to our gate.  I paid a man to Saran wrap my intense backpacker’s backpack to keep my straying straps from getting caught on anything.  Checking luggage, security, and finding our gate all ran as smoothly as it could.  Ben and I made some last minute goodbye calls to family and friends before boarding SA 323 to Johannesburg, South Africa.  14 hours of movies including, “Spider Man”, “Rock of Ages”, and “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” – don’t worry anyone...it’s just a movie.  We eventually made it to Johannesburg and rushed a little to our connecting flight to Cape Town.  We arrived in Cape Town after passing out on our 2 hour flight around 1:00 pm on October 12^th.  It’s good to note that we are 6 hours ahead of our friends and family in the United States.