Ryan and Emily

Ryan came to South Africa with us and lived within a relatively easy trek so we spent a good deal of time together - especially in the last year. It also helped that Ryan and I are both intense women that were very passionate and committed to our work. I am excited to see where the years take her.

Emily and her husband Chris replaced Derek and me as the local Peace Corps volunteers. Emily and I became fast friends and we spent many hours together as the Elis and Kemps exploring Okhahlamba and KZN in Thuli.  So many of my happy memories from my last year in South Africa will have them in it.

Emily, Ryan and Melissa at Derek's Art Show

Both these ladies were present when I made a fool out of myself on my 30th birthday. It started off fine with some dancing and milk stout, continued on to a backwards roll (on accident) down a hill which resulted in a head full of black jacks and a ripped shirt and an out-the-door-of-a-moving-car-barf incident and ended with even more barf inside of Ryan's bag, some weird home-made aloe solution and a wicked hang-over.