With almost 6 months having passed since our arrival to South Africa, we finally welcomed our first set of visitors to our home-away-from-home in the self-declared Motherland. Traveling over 8,000 miles in order to prove their worth as friends (which is still up-for-debate after some questionable Euchre performances), the Woodmans visit was almost not a visit, thanks to an epic debacle with passport photos, and some poorly-timed-yet-thankfully-negative COVID-19 tests. However, as to save the sanity of the Soskolne household (which may not have survived a 2nd straight canceled visit), the world let out a collective sigh of relief, as the Woodmans overcame all obstacles, and officially arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. Now, as the previously-alluded-to “adventure” in which the Woodmans partook is a blog in itself (including of course how they managed to pawn off 4 children under the age of 7 to a “willing” grandmother), the whole experience did bring to light the difficulties one encounters when attempting to travel internationally during these “crazy times” (and by “crazy,” I refer to pre-“World War 3 crazy,” which somehow became a thing since this paragraph was initially drafted a week ago). Anyhoo, before diving into the summary of the Woodman’s actual visit, I felt obliged to take a brief detour, and introduce, yet another, carefully researched, Not Another Damn Travel Blog segment: The Official Not Another Damn Travel Blog International Travel Obstacle Course in the Age of COVID-19 (TONADTBITOCAC19, for short): Obstacle #1: COVID-19 Test - With each country following a similar-yet-different-enough playbook on what is required to enter across one’s border, the biggest impediment to a successful international voyage is whether a microscopic fraction of COVID-19 exists on the end of a Q-Tip, previously used to “scratch-and-sniff” your brain. And since said test can only be taken anywhere from 24-72 hours prior to departure, your entire trip rests on two words – “Not Detected.” And in the event that your results do regrettably turn out differently, well, what better way to spend your impromptu “staycation” than via a frantic adventure in cancellations & refund requests. Joyous days indeed! Obstacle #2: Passport – As the US Postal Service currently operates as efficiently as an economy based entirely on Zoom meetings (Corporate America zing!), attempting to renew your passport prior to a trip is undoubtedly an exercise in frustration, patience & never-ending “on-hold music” (that Kenny G really kills it). But if you persist, 4-44 weeks later, your passport will probably/likely/hopefully arrive. Unless of course you smiled in your picture, in which case, nobody wants to see those pearly whites! Obstacle #3: Flight Cancellations – With thousands of flights canceled each and every day (!!), if you have managed to overcome obstacles #1 and #2, all that is needed is an on-time departure to successfully be on your way. Because, IF your flight is canceled and rebooked to the following day, guess what?! Back to obstacle #1! And as we have personally learned in the past, is by no means a guaranteed result. Obstacle #4: General Life Stuff – Anything that falls within the category of “sh*t happens” (e.g. feverish children, broken-down car, unplanned Russian invasion) Thus, with all potential hurdles successfully… hurdled, we set off alongside our Michigan companions for an 8-day adventure that only had one basic rule – “do all the things.” And with only 2 kids in tow, who are as travel worn as one can possibly be before entering Kindergarten, all the things we definitely did. Woodman Visit Summary: Extremely Brief Synopsis:
Highlights:
Lowlights:
Best Inside Joke That Only Four People Will Understand = “Interesting…” Onto the pics:
2 Comments
Melissa
2/27/2022 08:03:26 pm
I’m just so happy to see how happy you are.
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Marie
3/15/2022 10:37:59 am
Finally avoiding work and revisiting our amazingly "interesting" trip!!! Only slightly shamed at the Euchre performance. You guys win the award for best hosts/trip planners. Hopefully, we did our part as substitute parents/forcing your kids to do stuff (much to their dismay). Also- your camera is WAY better than mine and worth your special bag. Finally, I think you underplayed how extremely hardcore we were with that final hike.
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PRIOR BLOG POSTS: Year Abroad Intro: • Welcome to our Newest Blog! Again! • The Move - Dissected, Probed and Then Probed Some More • The Voyage (Part 1) - If At First You Don't Succeed, Trying Again Won't Work Either • The Voyage (Part 2) - The Layover to Rule All Other Layovers • A Personal Life Update - Establishing Our Shallow Roots A Guide to South Africa: • How to be an Expat When You Aren't Technically an Expat (Part 1 - Bank Accounts) • How to be an Expat, When You Aren't Technically an Expat (Part 2 - Health Insurance) • Load Shedding - Keeping the Lights Off in South Africa Since 2007 • 195 Ways to Fight a Pandemic - The South Africa Edition • Halloween in South Africa - Playing Catch-Up Since 2016 • SnapScan - South Africa's Glimpse into America's Future • Thanksgiving in South Africa - Where My Turkeys Be At? • Life at the Epicenter of Omicron - A Different Type of Cancel Culture • Playgrounds - The Starbucks of South Africa • Cost of Living in South Africa - An Exploratory Journey of Everyday Expenses Trips: • Namibia Roadtrip (1 of 3) - Driving a Shake Weight to Sossusvlei • Namibia Roadtrip (2 of 3) - Searching for Souls in Swakopmund • Namibia Roadtrip (3 of 3) - Getting our Safari on at Etosha National Park • Weekend Getaway in Robertson - A Trip Down Pleasantville Lane • Summer Holiday Trip (1 of 3) - Glamping Without the Glam in the Drakensberg Mountains • Summer Holiday Trip (2 of 3) - The Historical Chronicles of Kruger National Park • Summer Holiday Trip (3 of 3) - Searching for Whales and Spare Tires in the Overberg • Visitors Round 1 - The Woodmans - An Expedited Exploration of Everything • The Great Wildebeest Migration - 15 Years of Waiting Decided in 15 Minutes • Ngorongoro Crater - A Pre-Migration Layover Inside an Inverted Volcano • Ndutu - The Safari to Rule All Other Safaris • Serengeti National Park - Seeking Out Simba at an Abandoned Pride Rock • Zanzibar - The Island of Sugar, Spice and Most Things Nice • Visitors Round 2 - Let's Ignore Our Sanity & Do All The Things • Wild Coast - A Little Tatse of the O.G. South Africa Cape Towning: • Spring Break in September - Just as Strange as it Sounds • A Day in the Life of a South African Expat - The Visual Edition • A Wrinkle in Our Spare Time • Our Final Week in South Africa - A Bittersweet Symphony of Bucket Lists The Other Stuff: • This is 40: The South Africa Version |