So I got this pair of Chacos, and I wore them for my entire first trip to Africa. They were with me during every experience - walking 3 miles each way into Mwange Refugee Camp and back, canoing down the Zambezi while watching out for hippos, swimming in a natural pool on the edge of Victoria Falls. Then I came back to Stanford and thought, "Hey, these are some great shoes... I'm gonna just keep wearing them around Stanford." Then the next year, when I was returning to Africa for 5 months, I decided that this would be the only pair of shoes I'd bring. And they were perfect the whole way. I kept wearing them when I got back to school again, and have continued to wear them most days for the past few years.
But alas, even the best-made shoes can't last forever. My poor Chacos had virtually no sole left, and the straps were fraying to the point that they might actually break soon. I realized that before leaving the country for another 3 months, I would need to get another pair.
So yesterday, I ventured back to REI and picked up a newly ordered pair. They're pretty - the new slim, double-strap look, a nice shade of pink, and with some pretty hard core grip on the soles. But when I brought them home, spent some frustrating time adjusting the straps, and then got 4 blisters after wearing them around an hour, I really started to feel bad. My poor old Chacos! I want to take them with me on another adventure!
I don't know if this posting really has a point (nice hook to get you all reading, huh?), but if you're wondering what on earth the title of my blog means, I guess you could say it's kind of a tribute to my dear old Chacos I'm leaving behind... :(
Anyway, the real stories begin tomorrow, so stay tuned!
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