Katie and the kudu

 

I am now in possession of a very large wire kudu head. 

I first saw the kudu in a record store early in my trip to South Africa. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was made of crazy wire and green bottle caps and its vacant expression bore deep into my soul. It's been on my mind constantly for like two months.

So yesterday was my birthday so I just bought it. It was an unforgettable adrenaline rush.

Of course, when I bought it was telling myself, "this will totally fit in your suitcase."

On closer examination, I don't think it will.

I purchased the kudu at a shop that's about a mile away from where I live--too close to take a taxi, but just far enough away that I had time to get more than a few funny looks from the Cape Town public as I marched home across town with it in my arms on a cloudy Monday afternoon.

So now I have it. And now I'm faced with the task of transporting a huge kudu head across the globe. As far as I can estimate, I think there are about four options:

1. Buy a big suitcase and put the kudu in it

2. Carry the kudu onto the airplane at the risk of having it confiscated at the super-harsh London airport

3. Carry the kudu to the post office here and beg them to help me ship it across the world for possibly a lot of money

4. Come to terms with the fact that this might have been a bad decision and panic before leaving the kudu behind

Does anyone out there know how to get a kudu head from South Africa to the western United States? Any tips welcome.