Oh happy day!

So I have officially decided I don't want to live in America. I would rather live in Africa: Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, wherever! I have come to the conclusion that to be honest, life in America is boring!! Let's be honest, what do most people do when they get home from work? Make dinner, put the kids to bed, and watch TV. What happened to adventure? When did sitting in front of a TV for the remainder of the night become the social norm?
I lived my life more fully in those short six months in South Africa than I did in the rest of my life. I suppose if there was a drastic shift in the normalcy of life within the US I would consider staying. But what happened to having friends over for dinner on a Tuesday night? Or going to a movie on Thursday? "Well you know...It's a school night.." SO!! People don't live anymore, they merely survive with a few bouts of enjoyment here and there.
I want to live. I want to experience life. I want to kiss cheetahs and play in the ocean. I want to be surrounded by children and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. I want to enjoy food for it's quality and not because of its sustenance. I want to write everyday and read more. I want to not know what's going on with this celebrity or that but constantly be in the know of how my friends are doing. And I had that in South Africa.
Maybe it was because of the community lifestyle present, which could be implemented back in the states. But most often, people prefer to shut their doors and leave them that way, whether physically or metaphorically. But in Africa, doors and hearts alike are wide open. Welcoming. Accepting. Warm. Genuine.
I want to live life to the fullest, so that I can look back and feel that I truly ENJOYED my life. I can't promise that there won't be regrets, in fact I can guarantee that there will be. But in the end, those regrets will be far outweighed by the joy of knowing that I am fulfilling what I am called to do, which is to love those around me. Whether that means those around me are down the dorm hallway at USD or down the dirt path in Mozambique.
I will be going back one day. But for now, I continue to pursue my degree because I know that THIS is what God has called me to at this point in my life. It just means that I have that much more of motivation to finish my degree so I can go back! Oh happy day when I board the plane destined for Africa! :)