A little homesick

This morning when I woke up I spoke to Russell on the phone. It was 2 am in New York City, but his whole family was up because of the hurricane. Their electricity had just gone out and Russell was telling me about the long list of precautions that have been taken for the hurricane. New York City has essentially been shut down.  I've been getting alerts from my school in Philadelphia like mad, telling me to stay inside until further notice, warning me of both a tornado and a hurricane. With an earthquake earlier this week, it sure seems like the east coast is falling apart without me. As hectic as all of this sounds, looking out my window and seeing sunshine makes me realize how far away I actually am. I'm not majorly homesick, but having everyone at home in slight danger isn't the most comforting of feelings. 

After I got off the phone with Russell, I decided to do something that makes me feel at home. A tradition when Russell and I visit each other (which is often) is to make big breakfasts together every morning, and banana chocolate chip pancakes are one of his favorites. Pancakes aren't common here (at least homemade ones) and banana chocolate chip ones are rare, so I was excited for my host family to try them. 

Chocolate chips were nowhere to be found, so I made my own. 

Mashing the bananas is usually Russell's job. His other jobs are stirring the batter and washing the dishes. The pancakes were not nearly as good without his moral support. 

At home I'm continuously fiddling with the temperature to make sure that they're golden brown. For some reason, here that's no problem.

The finished products, with some Vermont maple syrup my mom brought from the states.

They were a huge hit. I'll definitely be making them again. Yemmy

A few other things that make me less homesick:

Freddy, the family dog, is especially a comfort because my family dog, Rudy, passed away last week. Rudy was our family mascot, and Freddy is my host family's baby.

Amber, my host niece, is 20 months old and the smartest and happiest little girl. She calls me Kaya and lights up my days. 

So while I'm  very far away, I have lots to make me feel at home. I just hope that everyone in the states stays safe and dry today. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the east coast.

Many many hugs and kisses from Cape Town.