Sydney couldn't have asked for a better return to Cape Town

When I finally landed at the airport in Johannesburg I was initially just relieved to finally be off of the plane and back on solid ground. Taking the connecting flight to Cape Town was a walk in the park in comparison and I was so excited to finally be back in Cape Town. Exiting the airport and loading the luggage onto the bus all I could think was that it smelled like home, and was pleased to see that we would have the same driver who I had befriended the when here last year. All of the memories from the summer came back to me as we drove to the houses and passed places that I had seen before. When we finally got to the house I was again brought back to the excitement and joy of exploring the house through the eyes of my fellow classmates who were seeing the house for the first time. I was especially excited to see the new house that I would be staying in and was pleasantly surprised to see plenty of room to lounge outside, play games and bar-b-q (or a braii as you would say in South Africa).

Sydney (on left) happy to return

Settling into the house and living with everyone was easier than I expected. We were able to come up with rules for the house without too much conflict and we all helped and encouraged one another through the first few days. As the days passed of my first week in Cape Town I could not believe how lucky I was to really be here again and for three and a half months this time. I surprisingly felt comfortable with the people in my house very fast and was able to interact and befriend other classmates in the other house quickly as well. Overall I couldn’t have asked for a better return to Cape Town. Despite the swollen feet and getting use to the hot weather I feel so privileged to be able to experience this beautiful city and befriend people that I might not have ever met otherwise. I look forward to the coming weeks and hope I can make a difference in someone’s life as much as I know Cape Town will make a difference in mine.