Today we traveled all along the coast and down to Cape Point, the southern most tip of Africa. Cape Town is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen! The water is such a bright blue. We also went to Boulders Beach and saw the penguins!
Rondebosch Common
I made it!
Not even two days ago, I was at home, hanging out with my friends and family, and now I am with 26 other UConn students, about to go to sleep in a new bed, in a new city, in a new country on the opposite side of the world. Wow.
Cape Town is absolutely beautiful. It’s well worth the 17+ hours spent squished on the plane, although my butt has never been so sore in my life, and I didn’t appreciate that my snoring neighbor fell asleep on my shoulder. At least she had an awesome South African accent when she said “sorry!”
As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I was met by a warm, comforting breeze and a perfect view of the mountains. Words can’t even describe how amazing it feels to be in this warm weather. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what Cape Town would look like from all the pictures I’ve seen of it, but they don’t do it justice. All of the separate photographs I saw before don’t add up to the beautiful panorama I directly see now. It’s like they were fake images, and what I see now is so beautifully real.
The house I am staying in is amazing. 17 people living under one roof might be someone else’s idea of a disaster, but there is plenty of space and bedrooms for everyone. My roommate Jenna and I have a bedroom with our own bathroom, which is nice. What I love most about the house is that it has an amazing backyard, with a POOL. I can’t wait to go swimming, especially in this hot summer weather.
After all of us unpacked and got settled in, we went out to dinner at a Thai restaurant in our neighborhood. Not only was the food delicious, but it was nice to finally relax and sit back after a day of rushing around to catch flights. I am already noticing differences between the South African and American cultures. Dinner was very long; we were there for over 3 hours! In South Africa, people take their time to savor their food and enjoy each other’s company. This is the complete opposite of how we eat in the US. Everyone is constantly running to get somewhere or do something, and we leave little time to eat a quality meal. It felt good to take a breath and actually taste what I was eating, and actually have real conversations with my housemates.
I am so tired and jet-lagged, but still so excited and thankful to have arrived safely. We have a full two weeks of orientation ahead of us, so I’d better get some sleep! More stories to come!
How to Pack For 4 Months…?
The above title is not a statement, rather a desperate cry for help. T-minus 72 hours before I leave for Cape Town and I have NO IDEA what I’m doing. It would appear that my closet has thrown up all over my floor, and I am left standing above the damage, trying to decide whether I need seven sports bras or eight. 7 or 8?! I can only take comfort in knowing that I’ll soon be ditching the New England winter for a South African summer (if I survive the 17 hour plane ride).
As much as packing stresses me out, I feel so lucky to be studying abroad in Cape Town for a whole entire semester. A few months ago, this was just a tiny, absurd dream, and in less than 3 days it is actually coming true. I have always wanted to travel, and I feel there is no better time than now. I’m young, I don’t have any major commitments holding me back. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of this?
I will be taking classes at the University of Cape Town, but I have a feeling I’ll learn so much beyond the classroom as well. I wonder what I’ll see and who I will meet. I have an idea in my head of what this trip will bring, but I know I won’t truly get it until I step off the plane. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve never been away from my friends and family this long, and that scares me. I hope this blog will help us stay connected.
I still have a lot of packing to do. TTYL when I’ve arrived in AFRICA!
Cape Town 