South Africa!: The Plane Flight and Friday's Arrival!

Everything went incredibly smoothly getting here! After leaving school at 2:30am with tearful goodbyes, we had a 4.5 hour flight from LA to Washington DC, a 5 hour layover there, and then about an 18 hour flight from DC to Johannesburg. It was the longest flight I have ever been on, but I honestly did not think it was too bad. For the majority of the ride I slept, and also read, watched movies, and slept some more. The meals they served us on the way to Africa were so good, I ate every bite, and it was fun to have South African flight attendants and pilots to get us a little more excited for where we were headed! I really love their accents, and everybody is just so incredibly friendly it blows my mind!

It was a great feeling to get off the plane, and walking through the airport was definitely a thrill for me. It is completely set up for the upcoming World Cup, with soccer ads everywhere I looked, and customs lines that appeared to be set up for thousands of people. They are definitely ready for the world to come see their country! Every security guard throughout the building would smile and greet people as they walked by, and it was not just because they saw the group of 50 American college students walking through looking like a mess. Oh we definitely were a sight so see! Haha

Anyways, they took us on a bus straight to our hotel in Jo-burg. I am sharing a room with a girl named Lindsay, who is a senior at APU, and after we showered (the best feeling ever), we went to a restaurant next door to eat dinner, and then back to the hotel for bed! I cannot tell you how amazing a bed feels after spending the last 2 nights in an airplane seat. Oh thank the Lord for mattresses!