Lessons Learned

I have learned so much in the short amount of time I have been here so far. For example, I learned that it is very easy to be deported from South Africa and banned for five year if you overstay your Visa (No this hasn’t happened to me but I do know of plenty of people it has happened to). I have also learned that it is not a good thing to call a English girl ‘thick’. Apparently that means you are stupid not voluptuous (Oops). I have learned that no matter how far away from home you are, you will still hear about all of the craziness that goes on. If I went off of what I heard from the internet and news I would think that the US is falling apart right now. But I know better than to believe that there is no good going on in the US because the bad news will always reach you before the good does. In relation to that, I have learned that no amount of time can go by to make people less ignorant (and I use the word ignorant purely in the fact that people just don’t know what is going on in the world around them). In relation to that, I learned that many people joke about Americans thinking that Africa is one country but the reality is that many people do (it is actually ridiculous). I have also learned a lot about myself. I learned that I have to make lists to make my life feel less hectic (I actually did that in school so I do not know why I figured I wouldn’t have to do that once I left school). I have learned to make genuine connections with people no matter how long they are here because you can get to know some amazing people. I learned that no matter how much you may think you won’t like someone, it is fairly easy to find the good in everybody no matter what (I thank Kristin for that because she had an amazing heart). I have learned so much more but the point of this post is that you will never stop discovering new things about yourself because situations will always change and your environment affects who you are and what you think. It is okay to grow into a new person and learn from the people who surround you, that doesn’t change who you are it just elevates your understanding of people.

Now for my bi-weekly update! I think I have officially found the most relaxing and beautiful place on earth (well except for the fact that there are huge birds that like to run down hills and scare the living daylights out of me). But Kirstenbosh Gardens are literally a oasis for me. I could go there every weekend and never get bored of going. The air there smells different, the trees look majestic, and the food there is amazing (the air may seem fresher to me because my room is very stuffy). I had the loveliest time laying out on the grass and chatting with my housemates. I also went on a wine tour that takes you to two different wine regions here in Cape Town. South Africa is the 8th largest distributor of wine in the world but they have some of the most unique wines I have ever tasted. I learned how to sample and drink wine to optimize the taste so I can look fancy the next time I have wine in public (remember the 5 ‘S’: sight, swirl, sniff, sip, savor). I’ve had the best two weekends with weather which gets me excited about summertime here!