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| Aimee and Cape Town Co-educators jumping for joy! |
Now that it has been about a month
since I’ve been back from South Africa, I think I am finally ready to submit my
last blog. At this point I have shared some pictures and stories, visited
friends from the trip and taken another Women’s Studies class during the month
of May. I have officially adjusted to being back home and I am looking forward
to what the rest of the summer will bring. Studying abroad in Cape Town was a
crazy ride and I enjoyed learning, loving, and living in such a beautiful
place. I am so thankful that I was given this opportunity and I knew it was one
I had to take. I wanted to write one last blog as a conclusion to my journey
and highlight some things that I learned, favorite parts, least favorite parts,
and what it’s like being back at home.
One of the most important lessons I
learned is to always ask questions and never accept things as they are. It is
important to do research and educate oneself about the way things work and why
society is the way it is. I am not the most opinionated person, but just
knowing both sides of an issue and talking about it is so valuable. I also
learned the importance of story - telling and having meaningful conversations.
In American society we don’t always take the time to open up and share deep
parts of ourselves with others. We are too often afraid of what others may
think when in reality we have so much in common with one another. Talking to
other people is one of the best stress relievers and therapies out there. I
enjoyed every minute of discussion that I had with my co-educators in Cape Town
and continuing in my Women’s Studies class this past May. I have gained
confidence in contributing my own thoughts and insights to a discussion. Everyone
has his or her own stories and voices that need to be heard.
Furthermore, I learned about
privilege in society. For example, being white is a privilege whether we
realize it or not. Our society is based upon capitalist ideals and a hierarchy
that keeps certain people at the bottom. Even those who don’t consider
themselves to be part of this privilege still reap the benefits of this type of
society. Although improvements have been made, denying that it still exists
does not help to eliminate the problem or make situations for others better.
One of the hardest parts of the trip
was staring poverty in the face that was mostly caused by the country’s history
of apartheid laws. It was very interesting and eye -opening to hear
perspectives of blacks, coloreds, and whites living in South Africa now and
during apartheid. Our group lived very comfortably during our stay, while we
knew so many others were living in extremely poor conditions. We tried to reach
out to show our support in any ways we could, for those striving for better
wages, proper living conditions, and safer communities.
It was also difficult to balance
exploring and having fun with schoolwork and intensive learning. I learned so
much just by meeting new people outside the classroom and experiencing
different aspects of South African culture. I admire the culture of South
Africa and wonder what the culture of the United States is. Just as we often
have stereotypes of other cultures, other people have stereotypes of our
culture. I often laughed when people asked me if I saw celebrities or went to
crazy parties all the time, but they have good reasons to think that. They get
ideas about our culture from the media and shows like Jersey Shore, just like
we think of safaris and exotic animals as a part of Africa. I loved the culture
of South Africa that came from slower-paced living, a passion for music and
dancing and Ubuntu- the term used to represent the strong sense of community
and family. I hope that I can learn to cherish my family, friends, and even
strangers more. I am tired of living a comfortable and easy life. One of the
greatest lessons anyone can learn is that a comfortable life is not necessarily
a happy one. I am going to try to live a life filled with taking risks, serving
others, and spending time wisely.
It was difficult adjusting to being
home, mostly because I was no longer living in a house with ten college girls.
You can only imagine what life was like during those few months, but we
definitely tried to keep the drama to a minimum. I was very jet-lagged but took
advantage of some time off to visit friends and loved ones and finish planning
for the Fall 2013 semester. It was challenging to find the right words to say
when people asked me how South Africa was or what my favorite part was. South Africa
was so awesome, challenging, confusing, joyful, different, colorful, scary,
thought-provoking, full of life, and everything else in-between. I don’t have
a favorite part because every part was necessary for this experience to be
complete and meaningful. At home I felt like I needed to be running around
doing so many things because that was what I was used to. My life became quiet
and I had to spend some time filling it back up again. I only had a few minor
emotional breakdowns that were so necessary and freeing for me to let out
whatever I was feeling. As I mentioned, taking a women’s studies class this
past May also helped the transition. Most of the class was reading articles and
having discussions about topics that interested me and could relate to my study
abroad experiences. Cape Town was so great it could have easily been a dream,
but it taught me so much about the realities of even my own country.
Here are some links of organizations
that I worked with in Cape Town and movies that we watched in Marita’s class:
I hope you all have been enjoying my
blogs about my Cape Town adventures. Thank you for all of your enthusiasm and
support! My time in Cape Town has been so surreal and I recommend that everyone
add it to their bucket list :) I want to thank everyone who made this
experience possible for me. Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions no
matter how silly or personal they may be. Sometimes it is hard to get all of my
thoughts out into a blog. I will conclude my last blog with a South African
blessing. Go well and spread peace and love among the world!
South
African Blessing
Walk
tall, walk well, walk safe, walk free
And
may harm never come to thee.
Walk
wise, walk good, walk proud, walk true
And
may the sun always smile on you.
Walk
prayer, walk hope, walk faith, walk light
And
may peace always guide you right.
Walk
joy, walk brave, walk love, walk strong
And
may life always give you song.
Until next time,
Aimee
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