Well, it's been almost a week since we left Cape Town. I always thought that the idea of "reverse culture shock" was somewhat of a hoax. Turns out, it's 100% real - and I'm definitely still dealing with it. Literally everything I do, I end up relating to some experience I had in South Africa. I have never had any place, group, or community place such a beautiful stamp on my heart. To anyone considering this program in the future: it can be intense. It can be hard. But it will likely be the best experience of your life to date, and will be undeniably worth it. Thank you to everyone who made this adventure possible!
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I know I'm not alone in saying
that I'm not ready for this experience to end.
The fact that we're leaving for the States in two days is really
beginning to set in, and I'm becoming more and more anxious as the time grows
closer. I have so many worries about
returning home. How will I feel when I
get back? What will it be like being away from this incredible community we
have created over the past three weeks? Will it be hard to explain my
experiences here to my loved ones back home? What if they don't understand? I
know that the only people who can truly understand what I went through on this
journey will be the ones I experienced it with, and I'm scared to know that we
will all go our separate ways once we return home. I want to say that we will all stay close and
will all be as tight of a family as we are right now, but I know that life
happens. We are crazy busy at home, with
most of us working multiple jobs, some of us studying on other U of M campuses,
and with a good handful of us graduating this May. I have learned so much from the other
individuals on this trip, and am proud of the discussions we have had, the
witness we have shared, and the community we have created. If nothing else, I hope to share a little
flavor of this environment within my other relationships back home.
Hello all! I'll be the first to admit that I've been very behind when it has come to blogging, and for that I am so very sorry! I don't know where to begin to make up for lost time, but I'm going to trust that the entries of others throughout the past two weeks have been able to update you on what we've all been up to. So for now, I'll start with today. The highlight of my day was hiking at
Cape Point, and visiting Cape of Good Hope.
Cape Point is the mountain area overlooking the location where the Indian Ocean
and Atlantic Ocean meet. I had been
forewarned that there was not going to be any obvious meeting of the oceans, no
waves crashing together or any other visible signs, and was prepared for
somewhat of a let down. Boy was I wrong!
It was absolutely beautiful. I had been
disappointed we were unable to go up to Table Mountain due to the weather, and
the views from Cape Point - the southern-most tip of the African continent -
certainly gave me the nature fix I was looking for! The views were absolutely
stunning. This past week has been a good
combination of learning and fun. The
first week here, we were adjusted to the new location, celebrated New Years, visited Mandela Park (township) as well as a beach, and finally spent three days up in the mountains on the Educo retreat.
This week, however, we moved into phase two (of three), as recitations
began. In addition to class and
discussions, we also toured the Slave Lodge, District Six, Robben Island, and
the museum inside St. George's Cathedral.
On top of all of this, we have had plenty of time for play. We visited the beach at Muizenberg, went to
the Bafana Bafana game, bartered and shopped at Green Market Square, and spent
some time at the Waterfront, amongst many other things. Some of us even went on a safari at Aquila
Game Reserve. What a week! Starting tomorrow, we will be at Delft
Township for the rest of the week. I
have learned so much from our recitations, class discussions, the experiences
we have had and the stories we have heard, and am looking forward to continuing
my learning though the people we meet and the community we witness in Delft.
Hello world! My name is Hannah, and I am a senior studying Family Social Science and Family Violence Prevention here at the University of Minnesota. I cannot believe that we leave for this wonderful adventure in five short days! For some reason, it hasn't hit me yet. I've been so wrapped up in preparing for finals and now for the holidays that this adventure still seems like a far off dream, rather than an approaching reality. As I'm shivering in my room trying to think warm and pack for 80+ degree weather, it's slowly starting to sink in, and I figured this would be the perfect time to write down what I'm feeling, anticipating, and hoping to get out of all of this.
In a way, I feel like this abroad experience was meant to happen for me. As I've shared in our pre-departure meetings, I was originally planning to study abroad in France, over May term in 2011. Finals were approaching, packing had begun, and the money was down. And then it was over. I had been miserably sick with chronic sinus infections and other icky illnesses over the course of spring semester, and antibiotic after antibiotic, things only got worse. I finally met with an ENT/surgeon who told me that there was no way that I would be fly, let along make it through a three-week abroad experience. After various tests and scans I found out I needed to have surgery. I began the appeal process, and never got on the plane to France. I was devastated. I decided it wasn't meant to be, and over time, I realized that wasn't the kind of experience I was really looking for. I began to talk to advisers and other students in my major, and learned about Tracing the Footsteps of Social Change. Throughout my college experience, I have gained both academic and personal passions for social justice issues and frameworks, and because of that, I couldn't possible think of a better or more appropriate learning abroad opportunity.
Throughout this experience, I expect to feel anxious, nervous, uncomfortable, lonely, self-conscious, and even ashamed. I also expect to feel joyous, excited, passionate, compassionate, empowered, and loving, among other positive emotions. I hope that I feel all of these things, and that I am able to work through all of these emotions and new experiences to learn more about myself through the stories of others. I also know that I can't have too many expectations going in to this adventure. My main goals for this trip are to step out of my comfort zone, build positive relationships, and to keep an open mind and heart along the way. Also, if there is ever a time to get over a fear of flying, I guess this is it (EEEEK)! Cape Town, here we come!
Love to you all, and happy holidays!
In a way, I feel like this abroad experience was meant to happen for me. As I've shared in our pre-departure meetings, I was originally planning to study abroad in France, over May term in 2011. Finals were approaching, packing had begun, and the money was down. And then it was over. I had been miserably sick with chronic sinus infections and other icky illnesses over the course of spring semester, and antibiotic after antibiotic, things only got worse. I finally met with an ENT/surgeon who told me that there was no way that I would be fly, let along make it through a three-week abroad experience. After various tests and scans I found out I needed to have surgery. I began the appeal process, and never got on the plane to France. I was devastated. I decided it wasn't meant to be, and over time, I realized that wasn't the kind of experience I was really looking for. I began to talk to advisers and other students in my major, and learned about Tracing the Footsteps of Social Change. Throughout my college experience, I have gained both academic and personal passions for social justice issues and frameworks, and because of that, I couldn't possible think of a better or more appropriate learning abroad opportunity.
Throughout this experience, I expect to feel anxious, nervous, uncomfortable, lonely, self-conscious, and even ashamed. I also expect to feel joyous, excited, passionate, compassionate, empowered, and loving, among other positive emotions. I hope that I feel all of these things, and that I am able to work through all of these emotions and new experiences to learn more about myself through the stories of others. I also know that I can't have too many expectations going in to this adventure. My main goals for this trip are to step out of my comfort zone, build positive relationships, and to keep an open mind and heart along the way. Also, if there is ever a time to get over a fear of flying, I guess this is it (EEEEK)! Cape Town, here we come!
Love to you all, and happy holidays!
