Yes, it has been over two months since my last post and I am sorry for that. My excuse is school and general laziness. So here I am months later attempting to update my blog fans on all the incredible things I have experienced here in South Africa. The question is where do I even begin?! I want to share every detail of every experience I have had here but don’t have a decade to write about it. So here is the abridged version...
I have been on one of the best road trips of my life with some pretty interesting folks, three Germans and two Americans. I willingly jumped off a bridge from the world’s highest bungy jump. I spent one of the most beautiful nights of my life being eaten alive by ants in a place called the Hell. I found the world’s most perfect waterfall. I spent a week in Cape Town getting robbed, eating, shopping, and learning more about South Africa’s apartheid past at the District Six museum.. I attempted to hike one of the mountains I have had my sights set on since arrival. I have made some incredible friends that have only enhanced the quality of my experience here. I spent a week being a tourist with my friend from the UK. We went on safari to one of the most beautiful and even enchanting places I have been to. An experience I will not likely forget. I also did a smidgen of homework and paper writing between all these activities. The learning never ends here though. Everyday, with each new experience I am learn something new about myself, about people, about this incredible country, etc… It’s one of my favorite things about my experience. I know my time is limited so I’m pressured to make the most of it and that means really taking the time to live and soak it all in.
In the beginning my focus and attention was spent on learning everything I could about this new place. I wanted to interview everyone and experience the life of a local immediately. But as I became familiar with the people and the places my South African experience moved into an experience of personal growth and almost constant introspection. I took the information I had gathered and continue to gather and the impressions I had from the people I met and the experiences I had and made it a part of me through my own personal interpretation. I also became more focused on building the relationships with the friends that remained close after everyone settled into their own South African experience. I have met some remarkable people here who will hopefully remain in my “besties for life” category. I spend almost everyday with these exceptional people and it is difficult to imagine my not so distant future life without their positive presence. Later I will write a profile blog for each of my friends here. They certainly mean a lot to me. My friends at home know, or at least you should know, how much my personal relationships mean to me. I love my friends and am grateful everyday for the wonderful people I have in my life. I love my life for the friends that I have and I will never take any friendship for granted. Once a bestie always a bestie!
The last few weeks or so have really thrown me out of my element and left me feeling like a different person. Now that I am back to my “usual” life it’s good to finally feel like myself again, just finding inspiration by simply living life. I can feel the end drawing nearer and nearer. I mean I can physically feel it. I find myself stealing longer glances at those stunning mountains in the distance, appreciating the un-American appeal of this country more, smiling when I hear the clicks of the beautiful Xhosa language, just trying desperately to take it all in before I leave. You know the feeling you get when you love something so much that you just want to squeeze it so tight leaving it temporarily breathless. That’s how I feel about South Africa. I just want to squeeze you with my love South Africa! I have roughly five weeks left and I intend to make the very most of my time left here. I have never really been affected too much by change but I fear that coming back from this life might finally break me.
