the Rainbow Nation

As you're reading this, I'm either driving through the French countryside, quenching my thirst with a Belgian beer, or snacking on frites with mayonnaise. This holiday is obviously an especially healthful one. Besides going home for Christmas in just one month (!), it's also my last trip of 2013. It recently occurred to me how thankful I am to have traveled so much this past year. I ventured to Malmö, Berlin, the Jura, Lisbon, Obidos, and Porto. And it all started in Marrakech, my first visit to Africa. Hopefully not my last.

(Photo Credit: Jenna Finch)

I reflected then on how we tend to have an oversimplified perception of the continent. We think wild animals roaming the Savannah, but often forget about the pyramids. And the last time I overheard a conversation about South Africa, they were hosting the World Cup. But, gosh, how I'd love to explore it next. It's been on my list for quite some time. If I could, I'd hop on the next Emirates flight with Megan and Mike's Cape Town recommendations, and hopefully meet Jenna (the provider of these gorgeous photos) there.

(Photo Credit: Jenna Finch)

(Photo Credit: Jenna Finch)

(Photo Credit: Jenna Finch)

Stunning landscape and cosmopolitan eateries aside, I'm also fascinated by the country's history. It's devastating, in so many ways, but also enlightening. I mean that in the most empathetic sense after having read An African Athens: Rhetoric and the Shaping of Democracy in South Africa (as I studied culture in areas of post-ethnic conflict) this past summer. For instance: “It can be said that, for better or worse, Mandela has held tightly to his preferred rhetorical role, to perform the nation in a way that makes her appear to herself united yet diverse,” (31). If that's not something we as an increasingly diverse society should progressively embrace, I don't know what is. I'll be back Tuesday evening with a Brussels recap. Until then, bon week-end !