South Africa Days 1-2

Hello everyone!  Aaron and I returned yesterday from what was honestly the best vacation of our lives.  It was amazing!  I didn't expect South Africa to be so beautiful, jaw dropping gorgeous.  So much of the land was untouched and majestic.  We vacationed for 2 weeks, which was the longest vacation either of us had ever taken.  Americans don't take vacation too often but we met many Europeans who regularly take long, international trips.  Many Germans we met were vacationing for 3-4 weeks.  Hopefully America will take up this mentality!

Saturday morning we drove up to DC and left my car with my brother.  We flew out of Dulles via South African Airlines to Johannesburg.  The flight made one stop to refuel in Dakar in which everyone stayed on the plane.  The flight was 17 hours going, 21 hour return trip and I think my legs are still cramping from it.  Nothing like 17 hours on a plane to make you ridiculously grateful to own a mattress.  They served us 3 meals, which were pretty tasty.  Aaron and I both agree that the meals headed to South Africa were 5x better than the meals we were served on the way back and I don't think it was just our enthusiasm that caused the taste difference.  These people are probably all about welcoming you to their country and then couldn't care less when you head out. :)

We arrived in Johannesburg around 6pm, collected our bags and went straight to the hotel.  We had heard mixed reviews about the safety in Joburg and we were way too tired to find out for ourselves so we stayed in for dinner at hotel.  We stayed at the Protea OR Tambo which was a swanky, modernized hotel that was reminded us of the Aloft chains in the US.

The bartender served us Castle, which is a popular South African beer

Not mashed potatoes - our first South African food - pap! which is a porridge made out of miele-meal/maize

The next morning we rose early and caught the 6:30 shuttle to our game lodge.  Many shuttles run from Joburg to the Krugar area daily as it's a huge tourist attraction and much more affordable than flying.  It was about a 6 hour ride which went by fast.

Then we finally arrived!  We stayed at Naledi Game Lodge which is on Bulule Nature Reserve, a large animal reserve that connects to Krugar National Park.  The animals roam freely between the two.  There are a several safari lodges on the grounds, so sometimes on our drives we would run into other groups.

Picked up at the gate, then hopped into the land cruiser

Welcome to Naledi

Pulling Up

the green pool :-)

View from below the deck

Our room (secret - we received a complimentary upgrade)

sitting area 

our outside deck 

When Aaron stated he wanted to go on a safari I was a little nervous about roughing it, but Naledi was anything but that.  It was pretty luxurious so I don't think I earned any stripes for surviving in the Bush by staying there.  One huge plus was the small size, only 6-8 others were there during our stay.  This was the schedule below

5:00am  knock on the door to wake you up
5:30am  safari time!  this trip would last 3-4 hours, with a snack break in the middle
9:30       breakfast
--free time - go on a nature walk with a guide, go back to bed, or lounge by the pool --
2:30pm  lunch
4:30pm  safari time!  another 3-4 hour ride + snack
9:00       dinner
10:00     bed usually or drinks at the bar

The first day we arrived just before lunch and immediately jumped into the routine.  I'll share pictures from the game rides with you tomorrow!  Zebras, lions, elephants and rhinos!!!

One of my favorite meals at Naledi - ostrich meatballs for lunch :-) they were delicious!

Travel Time

Our trip is QUICKLY approaching!!! omg!!! 2 more night shifts = 24 hours, stand between me and vacation.  Yes!!!  Here's what's in my suitcase.

jelly beans and yoga pants for a comfy, happy 17 hour plane ride. BTW, I only shop at Target and TJ Maxx for workout clothes - if I'm going to sweat it in my limit is $15! ha #notluluforlulu

North Face jacket for day

denim jacket to throw over dresses at night

AG Legging jeans seriously the MOST comfortable ever. I own them in ankle and full-length.  Also it's Shopbop's family and friends sale is going on now, so you can get them for 25% off!!

Nikes and Toms of course.  Both less than $50!

JPK nylon crossbody I actually have this bag in red so it will match my Tom's. My mom said I needed a Nylon crossbody to travel, luckily I already owned this one to appease her. 

Karen Walker One sunglasses. I paid 60% of this price, but couldn't find it on sale to share.

Make-up remover towlettes to not totally destroy the hotel washcloths 

Duke baseball cap why not? I don't think I have any friends 

who are Duke fans so this will annoy them. :-)

Lastly, I have my Christmas present

The Sony DSC-HX50V camera is "the camera I would carry if I couldn't bring my SLR" as the camera shop girl told me.  I can't work an SLR, so this is perfect.  It has a lot of cheat modes to take pretty photos despite having no camera knowledge - it takes beautiful no flash photos in low lighting, you can blur the background with the click of a bottom, it's image stabilization is amazing.  Also, as I read more and learn about camera settings and ISO/aperture/shutter speed (I feel fancy just typing those), it lets me switch into manual and semi-manual modes to test out my new skills.  I'm pretty excited!!!

Now the only thing left to do is to get all of these things into my suitcase...I don't pack lightly well! We'll see!!! 

Kitchen Remodel

My old kitchen.  Don't these photos just make you shudder?  It was totally 80s, complete with wallpaper.  Aaron and I decided to hire a contractor to remove the wallpaper, paint the walls and the cabinets.  We had the old counter tops removed and replaced with granite.  We then bought stainless steel appliances off of Craigslist.  This is our first house and by no means our last house, so I picked neutral paint colors and didn't go too extravagant on the decor.  I'll get to design my dream kitchen later in life. :-)  We re-did the bathrooms as well, they're currently mirror-less so not ready to be shared yet!  Here's our new kitchen!  

I love it!  It looks so much brighter and spacious with the white cabinets.  To save some money, we simply buffed the old hardware instead of replacing it with stainless steel.  A few trips to Target found some cute decor to match our mixer! Aaron did the plumbing for our new sink himself, so it was a few frustrating weeks with no running water in the kitchen, thank goodness that's over.  And ta-dahh, new kitchen means a happy chef wife! :-)  

One Year Ago

Everyone has different opinions about weddings- they're a waste of money, it's the marriage that counts (well of course), no one will remember, etc.  Personally I love weddings and I loved mine.  It was honestly the best day of my life.   I could have married Aaron in a courthouse and been happy.  But marrying him in front of 270 of my family and friends, followed by an epic dance party just elevated my feelings of joy by a million.  Best Day Ever.

Reflections

This weekend will be my anniversary. A lot has happened in the past year - I married, I moved in with Aaron, I graduated from medical school, I started my intern year. I'm in more control of my own life then I have ever been before. And it's kind of awesome! I met Aaron after complaining to my friend 5 years ago that I was bored. I told her too many 30 year olds were hitting on me (I was 22).  I also told her I wanted someone taller than me. According to the state of NC DMV, Aaron is 1 inch taller than me...but I digress! The point is marrying Aaron Isbell was the best decision of my life. :-)

On Mark Ronson's Version album there is this awesome song about love, Apply Some Pressure.  "You magnify the way I think about myself. Before you came, I rarely thought about myself." I think that's a sign of true, healthy love.  Aaron has truly inspired me to be a better person, to be more selfless, to be more patient. In that way, marriage is anything but settling down. It's pushing yourself, it's exploring, it's new adventures. I don't think I would be the same person today if he hadn't walked into my life. Happy Anniversary babe.

Start It Up (vroom vroom)

While shopping with my girlfriend in Charlotte this weekend, I pretty much fell in love with Kate Spade's Motorcross collection.

I love the speedometer clutch.  And the speedster wedges?!!  gah.  You can shop the collection here and as expected, most pieces are between $100-$300, which is a lot to pay for something with a racecar on it.  I'll be praying for a super sale. 

This collection as a whole gave me a very sixties, riding in my convertible type feel, so here's some inspiration below if you want to rock with the look.  For an all american vintage look I suggest sticking to red, white and blue with some classic accessories - scarves and denim jackets.  

 Serena rocking a headscarf in an updated fashion.  I think teased hair is key.

Bardot Dress

Topshop

Pixie Lott does a pretty good job showing us how it's done here.

I'm sure many of these looks lie in the depths of our closets.  I drive a red Mustang GT, so after I get dressed, I just need to grab my keys and a glass bottle coke and I'm all set for summer and outdoor festivals.  Happy Hump Day! 

Hello Again

My test is over!  God willing I will never have to take that test again.  It was 2 days which was pretty exhausting.  Now, after successful completion of intern year, I will be able to work independently as a general practitioner.  However I will continue my residency, as my true goal is to specialize in psychiatry (currently in year 1 of a 4 year residency).

After sitting around the house studying in sweats, I've been feeling like a complete bum - and likely looking like one too. I need some cuter lounge clothes people! Even my VS pink sweats just seem so college.  Since I had a completion-of-Step-3-present-to-myself excuse, I got two sets from Plum Pretty Sugar.  With my anniversary coming up, this will be a nice way to show Aaron girls don't completely fall apart after you marry them.  And now back to shopping at Target.

Last of all...
Do you like gardening?  Growing up, I always avoided helping my mom in the garden - and in all other areas of housework.  But now that I'm a newlywed I feel an urge to be a super wife-cook-gardener-cleaner.  I have a hydrangea bush that will be turning 1 year old this spring.   

  

My hydrangea bush last year

Last year's geraniums - these were great. They put out all summer.

I read about these Tristant Strawberry plants on the Southern Living blog and I think this would be an excellent addition to my tiny garden this year.

http://thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2014/02/23/wow-what-a-strawberry/

Do you garden?  Any suggestions?  I need some nice perennials to plant by our sidewalk - last year's died!  I'm still working on my green thumb.   Have a great week!