And so it begins. . .

Hello blog readers!

This is an exciting moment: you’re reading my first ever blog post. While I hope to organize my posts around some sort of topic or idea, this first post will most likely be a bit scattered, as I’ve only been in Swaziland a few days and I have so many unrelated experiences I’d like to share। Let me try to fill you in on the Swazi adventure up तो this point.

I left the States this past Saturday (the 15th) for what was undoubtedly the most grueling travel experience of my life. It started with a short flight to O’Hare, at which I had a five-hour layover; I then flew to Frankfurt, Germany, where I experienced the joy of sitting in a German airport for seven hours, only to be followed by an eleven hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. At Jo’burg, I stayed in the airport for 7 hours, after which I finally flew into Swaziland. After 40+ hours of travel, I finally arrived in the Kingdom of Swaziland, the smallest country in Africa, the only remaining absolute monarchy in Africa and the country in which I will spend the next ten months of my life.

A woman from the U.S. Embassy picked me up and drove me to Mbabane, the capital city of Swaziland, home of 60,000 people, and more importantly for this blog, the city where I’m living. While it's only a few hour drive from Jo’burg, the difference in terrain is incredible! Whereas Jo’burg is a huge city surrounded by vast farmland and flatlands, Mbabane is surrounded by stunning mountains. I haven’t uploaded any pictures yet, but check out this one I found on google:
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/5650323.jpg. It’s a beautiful country; this picture doesn't begin to do it justice.

I’ve had some great experiences thus far. Last night, a group of us Americans and a few Europeans—most of whom work for non-profits in the area—had an epic ultimate Frisbee game at a soccer field up in the mountains. Today, I just showed up at the Anglican parish down the street to see if I could peek my head inside. One of the staff members, a local named Hlanhle, greeted me with open arms and spent nearly an hour of his day giving me a tour. The Swazis are, based on my experiences thus far, gracious and friendly, which as a tried-and-true Midwesterner, I can certainly appreciate.

My time at the internet café is about to run out, but I want to share two more things that I’ve come to love about Mbabane: I have to walk everywhere and the food is incredible. On average, I probably walk four to five miles a day, which helps me to experience things all the more. Instead of being rushed, I can take everything at a slower pace and enjoy the people and scenery around me. Cheers to the food: all of the meat I’ve had has been locally raised and prepared, which is unparalleled. Without a doubt, in the last three days, I’ve had the best chicken and beef of my life.

Most things here are really cheap. I bought a great bottle of wine (which me and this fun middle-aged Italian woman who works for the EU finished off tonight) for just over $3.00. I buy lunch most days for about the same price and I got a cell phone and plan for around $35.00.

It's a great place. You should come visit!