Piece of my Heart

            For this entire trip, I’ve quite regularly had to just pause whatever I’m doing, look around for a moment, and say to myself, “I’m in Africa.” Africa has been kind of the ultimate dream of mine for pretty much my entire life, so actually being here… it’s blown my mind just about every day. In a way, that makes me wonder what life will be like, what I’ll be like, when I get back home to Texas next week. Going to see and work with wildlife in Africa, my life’s biggest dream, now accomplished at twenty-two years old. Of course, there are many, many other places I’d like to go, and many other animals that I’d like to work with, but I have doubts that any other experience in life will be quite like these past two months in South Africa have been. Having never been outside of the US before this trip, I guess I didn’t know exactly what to expect of South Africa until I arrived here. Now, having lived here for a while, I can certainly say that South Africa has surpassed any and all expectations I might’ve had about it. From the big, busy cities like Johannesburg and the gorgeous Cape Town to the smaller, coastal towns like Gansbaai and Hermanus, not to mention the beautiful in-between areas, like the vineyards outside of Cape Town or the mountain views we saw while driving from CARE to Johannesburg, South Africa is definitely the most diverse place I’ve ever been. And that’s not just true of the landscape itself, but the people as well- I’ve lost count of the number of languages I’ve heard here, and I’ve seen everything from the barefoot little children wearing mismatched clothes that I helped out in Swap Shop with White Shark Projects, to the managers at some of the big resorts in Jo’burg and Cape Town. This summer here in South Africa has definitely given me a new perspective on my life in the US, and I think that’s something that one can really only get by spending time in another country. I knew that this summer would be a great learning experience, but I guess I just didn’t expect that I would learn a huge amount about not only sharks and baboons, but also life in general. When I was planning this trip, there were people that told me that I was taking more of a risk by going on this adventure alone, but now, knowing what I know, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Traveling on this trip, whether it’s been maneuvering the airports, finding my way around Cape Town, getting to and around my hostel, or anything else that this trip has involved, doing it all on my own has been incredibly empowering and honestly, also a lot of fun. I think that some people might not think that they can do things like this on their own, but when people are actually thrown into a situation, they can really surprise themselves. As the beginning of this trip got closer and closer, I remember some questions popping up in my head, like if I would be able to find my way through the many airports I’d go through without feeling rushed or nervous, or if I’d ever begin to feel lost in a place as foreign as South Africa. But I’ve really surprised myself on this trip, because I’ve been able to stay calm, relaxed, and in control throughout the entire process. Traveling solo can definitely be a confidence booster, and I’ve learned a lot about myself these past two months. This summer has been an experience that I couldn’t get any other way, and certainly one I’ll never forget.

            All of that being said, in five days I’ll again be maneuvering the huge Johannesburg airport to board my fifteen-hour flight back to Atlanta, then going through customs for the first time in my life, and finally back home to my favorite city in the world, San Antonio. I think I can definitely now call Cape Town my second favorite city in the world, but it seems impossible to me that anywhere will be able to trump home. Part of me is incredibly sad to soon have to say goodbye to the lovable little baboons that I’ve gotten to know in my time here at CARE. At the same time, though, as wonderful as this place is, deep down I’ll always be a Texas girl. I also have absolutely no doubt in my mind that I’ll return to this incredible country to work with its wonderful wildlife again, hopefully in not too long. This won’t be goodbye, South Africa. It’ll just be see you later.

            This post’s food for thought is actually a quote that I’ve used before, but it’s so appropriate that I just have to use it again: “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.”- Mary Anne Radmacher