Even before I left the airport, it was obvious I had returned to Malawi.I went to the restroom after disembarking the plane, and the stall door didn't close, nor was there any toilet paper.Hoping to ease myself back into the Third World, I spent the night in Lilongwe with Jen and Terri from church.Still, the electricity went out, and we finished our dinner in darkness.The next morning, I walked to the bus depot (pronounced by the conductors exactly as written) and was made to pay a 10MK (7¢) "toll" in order to cross a rickety bridge hastily constructed over the river sludge by - let's call him a "budding entrepreneur."

At the beginning of January, Alex and I spent a week in Cape Town, South Africa.One of his colleagues at American University, Krista, is originally from South Africa and maintains a flat there, and she was gracious enough to allow us to use it.Not only did we have a beautiful view of the ocean from the balcony, but a secure location to store our things, a kitchen to prepare meals, and - more exciting for me, I think - A WASHING MACHINE!

For me, it was an easy trip - two short flights.For Alex, one missed flight meant he ended up touring every major world airport, including Dulles, Heathrow, and Frankfurt. Krista's father was kind enough to pick me up from the airport the evening I arrived, and to then take me back the following morning to meet Alex.

I wasn't certain what airline Alex was flying after he'd missed his first flight; his sister told me just to expect him around 11:30.Krista's father was certain Alex would be at the domestic arrivals, as very few flights come to Cape Town without first landing in Johannesburg.Flight after flight came in; no Alex.Mr.Tuomi tried to get me to relax by teasing me:"Are you sure you know what he looks like?"Or pretending to see him:"OK, I see an elderly man, a bit frail - that your type?"I know it was well meant, but it put me over the edge.

Finally, I called Alex's sister, who told me Alex had arrived and was looking for ME!Realizing he had to be at international arrivals, I hurried over and found him.It took me most of the day to calm down.

Our first full day, we hiked Table Mountain.Actually, we hiked half of Cape Town first, trying to get our bearings.Though exhausted, we did something crazy that night - we ordered in.Delivery! Pizza!Is life really that uncomplicated?

The next day, New Year's Eve, I enjoyed my first haircut in two years (not including "trims" by other Peace Corps Volunteers) as well as my first latte since leaving America.Running her hands through my lifeless locks, the poor hairdresser said, "Oh honey, what happened?"

That night, we went to Kirstenbosch for a New Year's concert - and met my friend Hannah from college!It had been planned, but it was still a wonderful shock to see someone from home.We bought wine and cheese, and spent the whole night dancing - in the park, down on Long Street, all the way back home at 5am.

The following morning, Alex and I opted for a lazy day at the beach, so we took the bus out to Camp's Bay.We went to a little Italian restaurant for a late brunch, in which we were regaled by stories of last night's adventures by a group of three American and European women sitting near us wearing nothing but beach cover-ups, talking loudly.

The beach itself wasn't what we expected.At first, we couldn't figure out why no one was actually laying on it - until we attempted to do so ourselves, and got completely sand-blasted by the wind.We were going to give up and go home, but there was a traffic jam going back into the city.Vowing "not to suffer - this is VACATION!" we found a bar/café and proceeded to spend the next four hours laughing and talking, long after we could have found a lift back to the city.

The story of our adventure in wine country has two different versions, depending on whom you ask.I maintain we lucked out majorly, as we made the very last train out to Stellenbosch and had to beg a tour driver to include us on his shuttle runs to different wineries.Alex claims he planned it this way.Regardless, after an uncertain start we shared a lovely day of wine tasting.We even bought a 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, in honor of the year we met, which we plan to open at a future celebration.

Our final day in Cape Town we had brunch with Hannah at Manna Epicure, on my sister's recommendation.Then we literally ran downtown to the pier to catch a ferry to Robben Island.Alex and I were a little bit disappointed by the tour's lack of depth, but seeing Nelson Mandela's prison cell and the surrounding area moved us both.

We had a few hours to kill before our dinner reservation at a jazz venue, so we decided to wander the Waterfront for a bit.We stumbled upon a Belgium restaurant, and couldn't pass up the chance to recreate our last evening out in Philadelphia before I left for Africa, in which we'd ordered mussels and sampled the beer.The waitress in Cape Town made a strange request of us, however - she demanded our left shoes!Apparently, the beer glasses were so expensive to import, the bar wanted to make sure no one walked off with one.Our shoes remained in front of us, dangling from the bar, while we ate.

After more walking and observing the penguins on the Waterfront, we had a nice seafood dinner and danced.It was a difficult evening for me, though.Sadness was creeping in, knowing we would have to say goodbye in the morning.

We'd booked the same flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg, so we were able to travel together and delay the inevitable separation for a few more hours.Eventually, he had to board his flight to New York, while I left to check into a hotel to wait for my flight the following morning.

I had been very worried about my reaction to "the West" after over a year of living in Africa.More than anything, though, I was simply floored by the convenience of it all.The first night Alex and I went out in Cape Town (and had KILLER Ethiopian food), I stopped suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk on Long Street. Even at that hour, around 6pm, I realized I could turn around in a circle where I was standing and find more products, people, and services then exist in all of Malawi.I had expected to be overwhelmed by the wastefulness and indulgence of the West; instead, I was appreciative as never before of communication, transport, and the variety of food.

I confess I also loved blending in to the crowd.Race is still a major consideration for people in other parts of South Africa, and I definitely witnessed some evidence of that.In Cape Town, however, Africans, Europeans, Americans - a tourist is a tourist, regardless of skin color.It was nice to take a break from standing out.

The best thing about going to Cape Town was definitely seeing Alex.But I'm also glad I had the opportunity to gauge my adaptation to a country with modern conveniences, before I confront that task upon my return to the States.Extreme gratitude is not necessarily a bad mindset.