Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow, I cannot believe it is Thanksgiving already. Where the heck has this year gone? (PS – totally except the exact same question just before New Year’s).  This week has been an absolute whirlwind for me! Everything has changed!

Well almost everything. On Tuesday I will be hopping on a jet plane bound for Washington DC – I have a new nephew that I need to meet! I have complained endlessly with yall about my visa struggles, we the time has come where I am being kicked out of the country more or less. My latest visa expires on 30 Nov, so I am leaving 28 Nov. Initially I was planning on staying in the US until around March or so, but I just cannot be away that long, so my US tour has been cut short and I will be coming back home to Cape Town before New Year’s! That being, said here’s my US tour schedule so you guys can plan around it! (haha just kidding, I am just pretending that I am cool here):

29 Nov-4 Dec: Maryland
4 Dec-10 Dec: Pennsylvania
10 Dec-20 Dec: Maryland
20 Dec-26 Dec: Virginia

Let me know if you want to try to get together! Unfortunately, because this trip is going to be short, I cannot squeeze in all the things I wanted to do and people I want to see. If not this time, then next trip! I will be doing at least one America trip in 2018 … ORRRRR you can always come visit me in SA! 😉

Now that that is out of the way…..

I HAVE BIG NEWS! And you get to be the first to know, since you are my loyal blog followers, all 6 of you. (Actually 22, I just looked, thanks guys!)

Are you in suspense yet?

I mean I can talk about other things. Ryno is doing good, he is HUGE now – 29kg! How did that happen? What the heck has my boy been eating?

Okay, okay, I will tell you. Cool your jets, turbo.

My contract with Panthera was initially only until December and I had NO clue what I was going to do after that. I have been trying to make all sorts of plans, plant some seeds here and there, and just hope and pray that something worked out.

Well it has! I have just accepted a MSc position with Panthera and UCT! I am going to be sticking around Cape Town (sorta) for a few more years at least! Woot woot!! Next year, I will be all over the place conducting field work and then I will come back to Cape Town to write up my dissertation. I am still in complete shock! I cannot believe things have lined up and are actually working out! This is my biggest dream since childhood playing out and it is coming true!

So today, this Thanksgiving Day, I have a whole lot to be thankful for. I know that I have a very special angel up there watching out for me.

Today is a perfect early summer day and I am about to head out with my dog and my friends on a lovely sundowner hike of Lion’s Head. I hope that you have an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving! Eat lots of turkey for me and enjoy EVERYTHING pumpkin.

Xx