My First Solo Experience Abroad: Cape Town, South Africa
My friends and family that have studied abroad always discussed how disoriented they were upon their destination arrival. Even with their advice, I could never have been prepared for the amount of exhaustion I experienced during the first few days in Cape Town…
It was as though I was living in a dream and was unable to get a grasp on what I was doing. I was worried about making friends, and finding my place within an international organization, and was terrified about my homesickness negatively affecting my experience. However, I suddenly found myself understanding the public transportation system, converting US dollars to rand without a problem, and feeling like I was truly living here instead of simply vacationing.
To avoid misunderstanding, this did not just happen overnight.
The last 7 weeks have been a whirlwind of mixed emotions, new experiences, and many personal challenges. I feel as though I have already learned so much about myself, both personally and professionally, and my trip is not yet nearly over.
Not only have I already had the opportunity to travel within South Africa, I have been able to expand my experience as a human services professional on a daily basis. Of course, the first few days I felt quite out of place and fairly useless, as most people do within the first few days of their internships. After the initial intimidation of the fast-paced organization subsided, I found myself completely and passionately engulfed in my work.
The variety of learning opportunities that CTRC provides is still unfathomable to me.
Although there are certain tasks assigned to particular days of the week, every single day within the Cape Town Refugee Centre has been different.
One thing in particular that I am beyond grateful for is the amount of education this internship has provided me thus far in regard to Africa as a continent.
Beyond the widespread culture within the organization, I have gained hands-on experience with refugees from all over Africa, allowing me to learn about the continent as a whole.
After every busy day at my internship, I have attempted to muster up the energy to participate in local activities throughout Cape Town as well as weekend traveling. So far, I think I have done a fairly decent job!
One of my favorite experiences so far has been the Garden Route, an African tourist journey, which I completed with 10 other interns during a road trip.
Activities included bungee jumping off of Bloukrans River Bridge (the tallest bridge one can bungee jump off in the whole world), bareback riding a 6-year old elephant named Tantu, zip-lining through the Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park, and much more.
I came on this adventure prepared, with a huge to-do list of activities and my goals set high. As I prepare for my last few weeks, I have no intention of slowing down.
