Year 27, Day 106

London Bound Baby!
The Africa countdown has ended, and you know its going to be an interesting adventure when.....

1) After 3 hours of sleep you are shocked awake by your travel partner Nic, who is wiggling her index finger in  your face as her own special impression of an alarm clock.
2) You walk to the bus stop lugging massive backpacks in the rain.
3) Decide mid rainy-photo-opt that Nic and I spend too much time together as we are starting to look alike.
4) You scandalize Nicole's Catholic Momma Mary E with revelations that underwear is always optional.
Never mandatory. Even in dresses.
5) On the train-ride to London the wife busts out the "Oh! I forgot to tell you! I signed you up as a contestant for the next Bachelorette!" She even sent a picture to the producers and used buzz words like process and journey.

Regardless, these are the moments that make everyday fun and fabulous... and also why we need our own reality show.

We're like a married couple who begin to look alike and dress alike.
Or like those people who begin to look like their pets.

We spend the rest of our day squealing like school girls about leaving for Africa in 24 hours, and set about distracting ourselves from counting the minutes by traipsing around London. These distractions included window shopping, having the mandatory caesars and poutine at the Maple Leaf Pub, paying £18 aka $28 Canadian for 2 small glasses of wine - served in high-class plastic glasses at the musical Chicago, and introducing Mary E to the wonders of eating greasy English kebabs in bed. Awesome!

Caesars are an example of Canadian you don't know what you got till its gone....

Exploring the streets of London at twilight in the pouring rain is much less glamorous than it sounds.
I promise.

Its hard to believe that this trip to Africa is upon us! 

First, because for years its been one of the most "how-the-hell-am-I-going-to-pull-that-off-safely?" items on my bucket list... the real-life list of things to do before I kick the bucket, which faithfully hangs on my Canadian refrigerator. Secondly, because it has been an impediment to English employment as its non-negotiable. And last, because this year of travel thus far has been divided into my own version of the Anno Domini Calender: Before Africa and After Africa.