And also with y'all

Well, folks, the countdown is on! Right now, I’m sitting on my front porch in my pajamas drinking a cup of coffee and soaking up that chilly morning air that means another summer is gone and what I call “back-to-school weather” is upon us. When I look to my left, I can see my old elementary school about a hundred yards away and am reminded of how my mother and cat, Nellie (who thought she was a dog) walked me to the corner and watched as I scurried through the doors, my lopsided, blond ponytail bobbing joyfully. From day one to my college graduation, I lived for this time of year. I loved school, counted the days till summer's end, and thought school supplies were my own little piece of heaven manifested in neatly sharpened number 2’s. 

Now, a couple decades later, I feel that same feeling of excitement building in my bones as each day passes and brings me closer and closer to September 15th: the day I move to South Africa. (Excuse me while I take a moment to refill my coffee and let that fun fact set in...)

As you may already know, I left New York City almost a month ago to spend time with friends and family in Kentucky. During my first week home, I attended a concert with some close friends at the Kentucky State Fair. During the “flatter the crowd” portion of the show, the singer made the comment that he loves playing here because “Kentucky is an amazing little piece of Heaven.” And I happen to agree with him. Here are some photos from my sweet little Kentucky vacation!

Caught this guy watching me while I was jogging near my house.

This is my attempt at homemade pizza with veggies from Mom's garden.

When we returned home from the pool, I asked my niece, Kennedy, to put on some dry clothes. This is what she was wearing when she came downstairs. She then asked if I wanted to play "school" with her. I asked, "Don't you want to play "zoo"? "No. Why?" She replied. 

Last Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day- perfect for cheering on the wildcats! Here's Olivia cheering for me...

My nephew, Kirby. He may look sweet...

As I soak up my last few days of autumn in the bluegrass, I probably won’t be doing much writing. Here’s a rundown of the week: love my friends and family to pieces, hop a flight to Amsterdam on Saturday, visit my cousin, Greg, in the Netherlands for three days, arrive in South Africa next Wednesday evening. So I guess the next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Cape Town! Talk to you then! 

Love,

Holly