Abby finding differences, learning lessons

It took a long time for me to realize that I was actually in South Africa. We had traveled for over 24 hours, then immediately got on a bus, and then stayed in our houses for the rest of the night. So we didn’t really see much of Cape Town until our second day. I was apprehensive about my house because we saw the house for the other group first and it was beautiful. This was the first year in this new house, so I wasn’t sure if it would be on the same level, but I love it. It’s very cozy and we all live well together so far. I’ve sent photos of the house to friends and family and many were shocked because they thought I would be living in a hut.

           

There are a few things that have been hard to adjust to, but nothing major. Mostly the fact that everything is opposite here such as the side of the road that is driven on as well as the escalators going opposite directions. Luckily I seem to have avoided jet lag pretty well. The days are all very long and packed so I’m able to fall asleep easily but I have been waking up earlier than normal. Another thing that has been adjustment is the level of security we have to take. We have had many security briefings since Cape Town is very high in crime. I don’t feel unsafe, but I am definitely much more cautious than usual, especially since we can’t even leave windows open when we leave the house and we have to make sure all doors and gates are locked. It has been interesting to see that all houses are surrounded by high walls and gates. I think it will also be an adjustment having to get cabs everywhere instead of walking at night time.

Orientation has been amazing. It is a lot to keep up with, especially since meals are longer with so many people, but I love it. My favorite day so far has definitely been when we toured the peninsula and visited several beaches such as Fourth Beach and Hout Beach and then saw penguins! I also really enjoyed visiting the District 6 museum and learning about the history of South Africa and the apartheid. One thing that really struck me today was when our guide, Joe Schaffers, said “we are all from the same race, the human race”. I had never thought about the term ‘human race’ in that context before and I think it’s very powerful.

View from Chapman's Peak