Shosholoza...

I know I keep saying it but this will actually be my last blog post, Ive been home for a month so I wanted to write one last blurb about Cape Town…I’m not even sure where to start but here goes.

My entire flight home I was in absolute denial, even as the plane landed I kept thinking that if I stayed in my seat it might turn around and take me back to Cape Town.. It was so bizarre I actually remember feeling so guilty because I wanted to see my family and friends but was so not ready to come home yet, still it was
inevitable, my study abroad was over and I was back in America.

I met my parents in the airport and spent the entire drive home telling stories. When I walked in my front door I found my two best friends standing in my kitchen, which they decorated for my birthday/homecoming and there was cake and presents, it was absolutely perfect. I was beyond happy to see them and suddenly being home didn’t seem to bad. A few seconds later Fenway came running through the kitchen and almost knocked me over with excitement and I decided that it wasn’t going to be too rough back in Allentown : )

I watched just about every single world cup game (I had espn3 set as my homepage at work so I could watching from the office) and played my vuvuzela when goals were scored or things go awkward during a game. I was so proud of the country too, they definitely exceeded expectations and pulled of a great tournament, maybe all the games weren't sold out, but the stadiums were full and people were watching those games! I wish the housing evictions would have been highlighted in the news (instead of just talking about vuvuzelsa) but its a start, and I hope that the nation really does benefit, in the long run, from holding the tournament.

Saying I miss South Africa would be an understatement, I mean it’s an absolute given. I loved the country, its people, Cape Town, the school, black label & hunter’s dry and long street, old biscuit and of course all the amazing friends I made in Mobreezy. I constantly catch myself comparing things to SA or just getting excited at the mention of the continent. I learned a lot while I was abroad and of course not just in the classroom. My volunteering projects were perfect, I realized I
really do enjoy teaching and am absolutely positive now that I want to volunteer with the Peace Corp or another NGO overseas before settling down professionally. I also realized that I can be away from home for extended periods of time, after 5 months I didn’t want to leave, and I know its horrible to admit but I didn’t get very homesick once I was adjusted to Cape Town. And it sounds so cliche but I took a lot of risks while abroad and learned a lot about myself, what I want in life now and in the future. I learned who was really important to me, friends and family...and everyone else who doesn't quite fit into those categories. Although coming home is a bit of culture shock I definitely cleared my head a little with that fresh Cape Town breeze...

I now have a new obsession with soccer. I found myself cheering for Manchester United the other day while watching them play Philly; it was automatic my friends taught me to support red. I have a coin jar on my desk at home that’s dedicated to my Brazil 2014 fund, which I know is a long-shot but I it could happen.

I can’t even begin to explain how happy I am with my study abroad experience. I want to go back to Cape Town, like now now, but know it would be different without the group of friends I had last semester. It’s still an amazing place and I plan to return one day, ideally to work for ACCORD, or the American embassy after I graduate.

I still catch myself getting excited when someone discusses the world cup (or better yet, vuvuzelas). When I talk to friends in SA, I catch myself smiling when they use the work hectic or cheers, which is some slang I'm slowing introducing to my vocabulary at home, my sister’s already teasing for saying “as well” in every other sentence. I found out this afternoon that I got into graduate school, so it looks like my far-fetched dream of studying at UCT for my master’s degree has just
gone out the window but I know I’ll be back, maybe for a summer program or maybe in a few years for jobs...or the 2020 Olympics, I know I'm backing the big for South Africa, and I'll continue to wear my UNITED FOR BAFANA band proudly because of the country and people it represents.

So thanks for an incredibly, truly life-changing experience Cape Town, you've been more than fantastic to me, and thank you also to anyone who actually kept up reading this and followed me throughout the semester.

Cheers,

Hales