Familiar

Being back in Minneapolis is quite a change from being in the warm weather of Cape Town. On the first day of class, I hurried to the bus anticipating the new semester. There's a class called the History of Modern Africa that I'm taking as an elective towards my major I was particularly excited about. As I headed towards my class, I was excited that my trip would be of much relevance to the course. Our professor Helena Pohlandt-McCormick, began to speak to our small class, and the introduced herself. She said she was from Johannesburg, South Africa and my face lit up. Shortly after, our TA, Virgil Slade, began introducing himself as well with an uncommon yet familiar Afrikaans accent. He told us he was born and raised in Cape Town. I was ecstatic! Both of my professors came from the country, one of them even came from the exact place, I had been for 3 weeks. I feel fortunate to have them as my new teachers; it helps my reentry process to become smooth and more enjoyable. It will remind me of what I learned during my time is South Africa; it's easy to forget. This class will challenge me to continue my learning and explore interrelated subjects similar to my experience. Feels good to be home, but I need to go back!!