When planning my year in South Africa, one of my highest priorities was to connect with locals outside of work. While my internship works directly with the local community, I wanted to engage with the local community at a deeper…
After spending quite a bit of time on trains traveling through the rural forested areas of south-western Germany, I’ve seen a lot of different small towns, and if ever something has tempted me to go off on Platonic metaphysical speculation,…
Recently, I have been restless. Living in Cape Town city center without a car confines me to commuting on public transportation and mooching off of friends with cars. Obviously both are quite limiting and leave little in my control. Living…
So I’ve finally had some time to digest a lot of the changes that have happened over the last few weeks, which has allowed me to reflect a little more about my trip up to this point. When looking at…
My work at the Western Cape (WC) providence South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) could not have started any faster. Work at the SAHRC has been fairly hectic[1] so far, causing me significant stress to work quickly and perform at…
After a busy four-ish days exploring Cape Town, my family and I flew to Thornybush Game Lodge for a Ricker fam safari experience. I was slightly skeptical of this choice, since I thought it would mostly just be a cheesy…
I’m a dreamer. I’m an optimist. I’m an absolute failure and a complete success. I cry. I smile. I laugh. I scream. I am an old soul. I believe in fairytales. I never settle. I think with my heart. I…
I just recently passed the halfway point of my project, and consequently feel obligated to be reflective and sentimental about the first part of my trip. I feel doubly obligated due to the fact that I have had a major…
The Rickers at Victoria Falls My parent’s plane landed at 9pm in Cape Town on Friday, February 8. When they exited the plane, they found me waiting with a box of Butler’s pizza, two soft drinks, a package of ginger…
I suppose it’s no small wonder that in a country that’s so dreary during winter, there is a long standing tradition and holiday almost made for cheering you up. That certainly seems to be one of the reasons that Germans…