For my second Study Abroad, I traveled to South Africa as part of the English 400 course. I had never planned on studying abroad twice, but I found this trip when I went to the study abroad fair. I was immediately hooked on this trip because of the outside adventures that were planned, such as hiking and swimming. The only downside – I had to decide that night because there were only 2 spots left and they were closing applications the following day. It didn’t take much to convince my parents, and the next day I was signed up to go along with my best friend and roommate, Kathryn.
Before we left for South Africa, my class met three times to do some pre-departure work. The class was based on studying youth culture in post-apartheid South Africa, so we read stories and articles about life, both during and after the apartheid. The book that we read, called Out of Bounds: Seven Stories about Conflict and Hope by Beverly Naidoo, was so good that I could barely put it down. I finished it in two days; it didn’t even seem like work to me! My favorite part was reading about a boy who brought water to another boy his age because his mother was giving birth, even though he knew he wasn’t supposed to leave the house.
Leading up to the trip, I was nervous about the flight. I get extremely motion sick, and thought of sitting still for an eight and twelve hour flight didn’t sound like fun. As soon as we landed, though, I knew the long flight was worth it.
We participated in many different activities. Some were more emotional than others; we went to visit a township and witnessed the extreme poverty there. Other experiences involved more physical exertion, such as going to the top of Table Mountain and hiking around the Cape of Good Hope. There were thrilling adventures such as going on a safari and swimming with penguins. Lastly, there were relaxing days where we got to lounge by the pool, shop, and go wine tasting.
Each day was different in South Africa. I got to bond with my classmates while singing karaoke on the bus ride and playing games around the hostels. Overall, this study abroad opened my eyes and made me a better human.
Above is a picture of me with my best friend, Kathryn. On the way from one hostel to the next, we stopped at this area with beautiful views of the mountains and ocean.