mall rat

I’m ready to leave.  Normally this feeling comes around the “2 weeks to go mark” every round.  It’s normal for us to be gearing up for the next round and be excited to get there.

The thing is-I’ve had this feeling for a few weeks now.  I thought this time around in Joburg would be so much better than before because of having an apartment.  I thought I’d be busy cooking, planning meals and enjoying the normalcy of it all.  Wrong. 

Okay, not completely wrong.  I do love cooking.  I do love the bit of normalcy.  I think the problem lies in the fact that I can only go to the mall.  I seriously hate malls.  At home, I will only go about 3 stores deep from an entrance and if forced to go to a food court, I may break out in hives. 

If you know me at all you know my own personal hell would be to forced to go to a mall every single day.  Guess what?  I’m totally living that right now. 

I go to the mall practically every single freaking day.  It’s the only place I can go and within the belly of the beast are the grocery stores, so there really is no avoiding it.

The malls and hotels are all connected anyway so in essence I’m living in a mall. I. am. living. in. a. mall.

I’m more than over it. 

I’m ready for Rio, the excitement of being in a new country (sorry, Botswana did not scratch that itch) and to have new experiences.  I’m ready to see friends and honestly…I can’t believe I’m saying this…I’m ready to have a little “team time”.  As much as I have loved having a bit of normalcy, the apartment life has has made us a bit isolated.  

I miss people!  I miss the outside!  I miss freedom!

There is a friend currently in Brazil counting down the days until he goes home on Facebook.  I love it because each day I see his countdown, I know I’m that much closer to getting there and out of this God-forsaken mall.

9 days to go…