Getting ready for my trip...

So, its been no secret that I am off to Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday morning. One of my dear friends, Matt Bell decided to leave NYC and moved to Arequipa, Peru but not with out starting one of my favorite blogs on the world wide web. After reading Where The Eagles Have Been. I became inspired to write my own blog.... If all goes well, this blog will continue well after my trip to South Africa and I will take you on the journey of what I call a life... So here I go!

To get myself in the mind set of leaving my homeland to depart on a journey across the world, I spent part of my weekend where anyone leaving NYC, would go. QUEENS NY. I figured by going through a 21 hour flight on South African Airlines all by myself, I would need to put myself through a mid level of torture that could only partially compare, A BUS IN QUEENS.

After packing some home made goat cheese/ mushroom bread, spinach dip, fresh picnic sandwiches and 2 large flasks, we all met up at 23rd and 6th Avenue to begin our "journey" on the F train uptown.  8 assholes from NYC come bombing out of the subway looking for the bus only to find there is a civilized line of people all waiting to go about their day. Little do they know, there is about to be a huge kink in their plan to commute calmly on a lovely Saturday afternoon.

My friends and I decided to go to a pumpkin farm / corn MAZE, to kick off the fall season. Arriving at the farm all you saw was Families with small children. Everything was about to change. Here we were, running up to the nearest picnic table to spread out our food and vodka drinks all while getting attacked by bees....

After noticing what might have been the cutest family on the farm, my friends and I decided to take on the Corn Maze... Sounds easy right? I mean it must be if its for families of small children.
BOY WERE WE WRONG.
Whoever designed this thing certainly didnt take into account there would be drunk city folk running around.

I of course was the "leader of the pack" holding our group flag, which at some point got lost in the brush...
After being asked to leave the MAZE by the farm staff, my friends and I decided to go and have a pumpkin painting contest. My pumpkin was of course, the best....

What do you think???

If you dont believe me, ask the people sitting on the Q17 bus. I initiated an "America's Next Top Pumpkin" walk off, and strutted my stuff (by stuff i mean pumpkin) down the entire bus, asking everyone to vote.

It is now Monday night, just 2 days before my trip and I have begun my Malaria vaccine. I chose to do my typhoid shots 2 weeks earlier to avoid all of the side effects happening at once. Lets just say this was smart. If you are ever going to travel, and need the Hep, Typhoid, Malaria Vaccine cocktail, I advise spreading it out.
I dont know how I am going to physically contain myself for the entire flight however given just how UNEASY my belly is from these pills. This is rough.

My next dilemma is packing. What does one wear in South Africa? I guess I will have a full report for you upon my arrival.
Stay tuned for pictures, comments and of course judgement on fellow travelers....