Going to Africa! or the One where Jeff is Dancing around His Apartment and Smiling Too Broadly on the Street.

I have the most exciting news to share! An American travel agency just got me a humanitarian discount to go and visit Amy in Africa! I'm not kidding it's absolutely the best! They were able to reduce the cost of my ticket by 60% Isn't it great?!

On December 11, I'll leave Tyumen to go and visit Amy in Nairobi, Kenya (via Moscow and Qatar). I'm so thrilled, I'm really looking like an American on the streets. I've got this big grin pasted from ear to ear. I still need to pick up the Tyumen - Moscow leg of the journey, but that shouldn't be a problem. It's already been 3 months since we've seen each other and it'll be 4 by the time I arrive in Africa.

I've got to get shots before I can go, so please pr@y that we'd be able to find all of them that I need. Looks like everything should be a go (although it's strange to get that many shots here in Russia) - we're having trouble finding malaria pills, and I should've had the yellow fever shot months ago (from the sound of things).

Amy already found an inexpensive Safari we can go on where you drive your own vehicle and it looks like I'll get to meet up with a few friends from MTI (it's the training agency I went through) while I'm there in Africa! How awesome, huh?

I'm so thrilled that I get to visit her AND we'll be together on Christmas!!! I'm sad that I won't be with family and able to carry on the traditions that we've had for so many years, but Amy and I can start a few new traditions this year and I'm excited that we can be together - okay, so I'm getting teary actually thinking about all this, so I guess I'll sign off - but I just wanted to share the awesome news with all of you!