Until Next Time

Well folks, it has been a week since I landed back in the United States. A whole week since my semester in South Africa came to an end. What an adventure to say the least. My last days in Cape Town were filled with fun and friends. Those days were filled with laughter and, of course, some tears. As I spent my last day at service, visited my favorite places for the last time, and shared my last moments in Cape Town with my housemates, I chose to say "until next time," instead of "goodbye". Maybe I will never make it to South Africa again. Maybe I will. Either way, my time spent there and the lessons I have learned from it will be with me forever.

The first of the lasts came with my last day at Loyiso Pre-Primary School. Although I was only at Loyiso for half of the semester, I came to know and love the kids there. Those little nuggets had endless energy and the biggest smiles. On my last day, we played inside, took pictures, and collapsed in silliness on the floor.

Me and all the kiddos...it's hard to see them all, but they say hello!

 

Me, the ladies who work at Loyiso, and some of the babies

There are plenty of memorable moments and kids from Loyiso, but one sticks out in my mind more than the others. There was one girl I immediatly fell in love with the first time I saw her smile, and she was smiling all the time. She came to Loyiso one of my first days there, but then I did not see her until my last day. I do not know what kept her away that whole time, but I was so grateful to see her one last time before I left. We conversed as much as possible with our language barrier, and then just laughed and smiled a lot. Her spirit is infectious and her joy is almost tangible. I do not even know her name, but I cannot forget that beautiful face.

My little friend with the best smile I've ever seen

                             

So many hugs from these ones!

In those last nine days there were still a few things I managed to cross of my bucket list. Among them were getting a Gatsby sandwich with Pearnel (the program's driver and our surrogate father for the semester...we call him Papa P), visiting the Rhodes Memorial that looks over the city, and going on the tree canopy walk at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

The Gatsby Sandwich in all its glory...filled with steak, egg, cheese, chips, lettuce, and sauce.

Shannon, Jessie, Kari, Duke and Sam at Rhodes Memorial

Rhodes Memorial

Duke, Same, Shannon, and Kari on Tree Canopy Walk at Kirstenbosch

My last day in Cape Town was awesome. Almost our whole house loaded into the van with Pearnel and made the hour and a half trek down to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope. It was windy, rainy, and cold, but nothing could deter us. We climbed to the light house and looked out to see where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. It was a beautiful place. I could not have asked for a better last day-we were together and once again, we were exploring. Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope was the last thing to do on my bucket list- after that day I had crossed every single item off of my list (including the ones I added during the semester). That night we went out to dinner with our Program Director Melikaya and then went out for the last night in Obs. We ended the semester on a Monday night just the way we started it on a Monday night some months ago- at Stones (a bar that really just cannot be explained). I cannot say or write or express what these past five months and the 18 other people I have spent those months with mean to me. They are now woven into my story as I am into theirs. This experience we shared connects us in a way unlike many others. I am so grateful to them and everyone else who made my semester abroad possible. Spending that last day with them at Cape Point was a great end to a great semester. 

Happy Camper!

Leaving South Africa was hard. We packed up all our belongings, loaded the van, and piled in for one last drive with Pearnel. On our way to the airport we played "Laundry Room" by the Avett Brothers...I'm not really sure how this came to be a theme song for the trip, but we always happened to be singing it. Looking at Table Mountain for the last time surrounded by amazing friends was a tear-jerker for sure. There was not a dry eye among all of us. Pearnel waited until the last moment before pulling into the airport to turn on "All These Things I've Done" by the Killers. We all share a special love of this song with Pearnel, and especially love shouting out the line "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier" with Pearnel (he really gets into it). This was just too much. I knew I had accomplished everything that I had come to South Africa to do, but I was still sad to leave. There are so many stories, lessons learned, realizations, and much much more that have come from my semester abroad. I cannot wait to see how this past semester will continue to shape me. 

Empty bedroom after 5 months

My last view of Table Mountain from the airport

And so I said "until next time" to some of the best times and one of the best places. But alas, I shared 3 flights, some more laughs, and a lot of reminiscing with friends on our way back home. I arrived Wednesday last week to my wonderful parents waiting for me at the airport. They were crazy enough to not say "no" when I said I was studying in Cape Town for the semester, and I cannot thank them enough for allowing me to see more of this amazing world. I will be spending this summer in Milwaukee nannying, gardening, and reading until mid-August when I will return to SLU for my senior year. I will be finishing my economics degree and serving as a Campus Ministry Intern for the year. Although this past semester was a great adventure, many more adventures await. If anything, this past semester has taught me to seek the amazing, beautiful, and exciting no matter where you are. And so, this is not the end, but just the beginning. It's funny because traveling only makes me want to travel more. It is not something that satisfies, but rather leaves me hungry. I want to climb more mountains, be immersed in more cultures, and see more wonderful places. So really this is not a goodbye, but rather a "until next time"!