Pauline grateful for this experince

Wow, so this is it! I will be leaving Cape Town in some days and now I am thinking about what it will be like to think, observe and interact in my hometown. Other than wanting to come to Cape Town to explore new cultures, become more open-minded and growing personally I know that there are things I have taken away through my experiences that I will not be able to take away in the states. I can say that many of my assumptions were challenged in regards to what I thought I would experience while in Cape Town. I assumed that South Africa was less developed than it actually is. There is actually function-able infrastructure, people in South Africa do have malls and not just markets on the streets and no ladies and gentlemen, South Africans do not run loose with the wild! (They go to zoos just like Westerners!) It is actually funny to know that I once held these assumptions and even funnier when I realize that some people who have never been to this part of the world still hold these misconceptions. At first thought, I believed it was my duty to inform and retell the stories that were told to me by Capetonians I have interacted with during my 3.5 month stay. Though, I will try to explain to them my experiences in a way that doesn’t overestimate or underestimate what Cape Town is as a part of the whole continent, I know that there will always be people who still fall into the trap of looking at Africa as a country and not a continent. Even within South Africa alone, 11 languages are spoken and people come from different walks of life. There is no 1 language spoken in Africa, but there are many. When I mention language, I am not just referring to what is spoken, but there is also not just 1 story, 1 narration, 1 experience in Africa- there are many that I haven’t even discovered myself. I am about to graduate from UConn and as I transition into a new phase in my life, I know that this experience abroad will greatly impact the route I choose to take in my career. I can only be grateful that I was able to receive this opportunity and look forward to telling my friends and family about everything I witnessed! I have grown personally as well. Learning to cope with being away from life at home was a bit of a challenge but it only made me mentally stronger in the end. I also got up enough strength to accept the gift of giving. With only 1 week left in Cape Town, I know that I don’t want to hold back on whatever shall come my way! Some of my most memorable moments were actually taking the minibus taxi to my internship and exploring Cape Town for its natural beauty. So to you Cape Town, this is not goodbye but rather see you later! I know I will be back here some day……..