Benin and BEYOND, Travel Blog 2.0

One year ago, I was on a plane returning from my first every international voyage. After eight weeks, three countries, and two hospital visits, you would have thought I would have passed into some sort of drooling stupor by the time I got to the 3^rd plane at the 3^rd airport, finally bound for home, a short 10 hour plane ride later.

 You would have been very wrong.

I spent the first 2 hours being excited to see my family and my friends and the new puppy that I knew would be waiting for me. The next three hours, I spent being sad about all of the family and friends and culture and plates of attièke that I was leaving behind.

Which left me five hours to go absolutely bonkers.

I paced up and down aisles.

I did jumping jacks in the bathroom. (Those of you

who have ever been on a plane and in the bathroom are going “Yeah right, you liar. There is hardly room to sit on the toilet in those closet bathroom without bashing your knees, let alone do jumping jacks.” I say to you, DO NOT DOUBT THE WILL OF A STIR-CRAZY, SLEEP-DEPRIVED WOMAN!!)

I did squats, lunges, every callisthenic exercise I could think of short of burpees in the back of the plane, probably alarming the flight attendants.

Finally, finally….We landed. My blog was called “To Benin and Back” and back I was.

So, two days ago, to commemorate a year of “backness”, I bought a plane tickets.

With a departure and return date more than 6 months apart.

To a place 36 kilometers to the nearest VILLAGE, where temperatures in the winter are more often below zero than they are above.

Where I will be living with a man I met on the internet and racing sled dogs.

Call of the wild, or call me crazy, but Quebec here I come.

Welcome to Benin and Beyond, Travel Blog 2.0.

St. Michel de Saints, my future home. Photo credit to Stan, the man that I will be living with who I met on the internet. =D

Stan again, but also future me. Stay tuned. 

For the honor and glory.