Emily E decipering her Cape Town experiences

It’s taken me a lot of time to decipher my journey in Cape Town. I feel like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz who was swept up into a land of vibrant colors and adventure. Then suddenly my journey is over and I’m back in the land of black and white. Everything suddenly feels…flat. As much as I wanted to thrill seeking activities, it was never my original intention when visiting South Africa. It was always meant to be life transforming for me physically, mentally and spiritually. Even if I did skydiving or shark cage diving, my experience would be just as fulfilling if I didn’t do those things.

I don’t come from a suburban area, I live in Bridgeport, CT--one of CT’s most distressed cities. My neighborhood isn’t exactly safe. Drug dealings are common on my street; oddly it’s happened right outside my doorway. In general, there have been numerous murders in Bridgeport since the beginning of this year. I’m used to being on my toes, and it was a habit I brought with me to Cape Town. It seemed as though many of my housemates were uncomfortable with constantly being aware of their surroundings for their safety. Because of that, some couldn’t wait to return home--to return to safety. I wish I could have said the same. I’m not sad about it; it is just the way things are. For the first time in my entire life, I felt like I was living the life of luxury in Cape Town. My money stretched far so I was able to do things I wouldn’t normally do at home. I lived in a beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood. Every day I woke up to mountains, palm trees and the fresh breeze.  Here in at home the area is stale and I feel claustrophobic. Sometimes, South Africa feels like a distant dream.

Because we were all told what coming home will be like for us, I expected my family and friends to not understand the entirety of my experience. So I didn’t dive into too much detail when it came to certain topics because I knew it was something they all had to witness themselves. Then graduation day came and I wasn’t that excited for it. I arrived to the UConn campus and I felt disconnected. I realized I said goodbye to this place a long time ago. The ceremony wasn’t what I expected to be either, very impersonal in my opinion. However, what made it worthwhile was sitting next to a good friend of mine and discussing my study abroad experience and personal transfiguration. On my way home I went to a nearby Walgreens to pick up a few things; meanwhile, I’m still wearing my cap and gown with my South African sash. When I approached the register, two young women caught my attention. One of them asked me “Are you from South Africa?” “No,” I said, “But I lived there for awhile and I just came back a week ago.” The woman beamed with happiness and said she and her friend were South African. She asked all about my stay there and appreciated how much I loved the country. Then she said, “Next time you visit, go to Durban! That’s where I’m from!” I had never been so happy to meet two strangers, but at the same time they weren’t. They were extremely friendly and for a few moments I felt like I was taken right back in South Africa.

My view of the United States has deteriorated as more events of social injustice continue to occur. I’ve never felt like a true American, and I feel like people who look like me never will be treated as such especially when no one protects their right to life and liberty. As much as I want to abandon this place, I have an obligation to make some type of impact to turn things around in this country.

"We weep for the blood of a bird, but not for the blood of a fish. Blessed are those with voice"- Mamoru Oshii

Emily on Graduation Day

Dani wondering when she will be able to return to Cape Town

My first few weeks after returning from Cape Town have been a very emotional and interesting time.  Leaving Cape Town was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.  It was so difficult to say goodbye to the place that had been my home for five months, and the people who were so much a part of my incredible experiences.  At first, being back in Connecticut felt extremely surreal. It took a few days to settle in and get back into the swing of things and life in the US, but I am finally starting to get used to it again.  The most interesting thing that I've noticed after returning is how much I really have changed since I left for Cape Town in December.  Being surrounded by my family and friends again, I have had some very interesting conversations about Cape Town, and also about the US.  I have helped confront stereotypes about what "Africa" is like, and have also engaged in conversations with various people about inequalities in the US.  It has been my goal to spread more knowledge to those around me about South Africa and also the country we live in, and I believe I have succeeded so far.  It has been frustrating dealing with people who do not seem to understand my experiences, and describing them has been very difficult. However, I have been doing my best to be patient and just know that although others may never quite understand, the most important thing is that I have these incredible experiences and memories in my heart and mind forever, and I do have many others to share them with.  Other than that, I am just wondering when next I will be able to return to Cape Town...

Leaving Cape Town behind . . . .for now

Sam is grateful every day for this experience

I can’t believe I’ve been home for over a month now. I still think about my experience like it was yesterday, and I wish it was! Even though its good to be home it just feels so different. I definitely notice myself thinking about things differently and from a different perspective. I notice how I think about things through this different perspective, but I’m still not quite sure how to process it.  Even though I’m not sure how to process it I know that I am thankful for it- that I’m not so quick to think in a certain way.

It also feels so strange when I see people and ask me about my trip- like when I run into somebody at the grocery store and they ask how it was how can I even begin? I have found myself just sharing the big things with people that I am closer to and have more time to talk about things with.

I am still in contact with my people form Christel House which makes me so happy. I love getting emails from them! Hearing from them makes me feel like I left something with them and I am grateful for that.

Every day I think about how grateful I am for this experience and know that it is only the beginning for many great things to come. 

John now has two homes and his heart is split between the two

As I write this last blog post, the fact that my semester in Cape Town is truly over finally sunk in. The first couple of days it felt as if I came back just to visit for the weekend, and I was going to return to my newfound home. It’s crazy to believe that a couple weeks ago I was thousands of miles away from where I stand today. You know that saying, “home is where the heart it”? 4 months later and countless of amazing experiences have shown me I now have two homes. My heart is split between my life and my family in CT and all of the moments and experiences I’ll never forget in Cape Town. In the journey to South Africa, I learned so much not only about SA, or the USA but also about myself; where I’ve been, how I’ve lived and where I’m going.

In a way, I was lucky that as soon as I came home I dove right into my internship and kept busy. I needed to keep my mind occupied just so I wouldn’t have the time to miss it as much. There are still days in which all that I want is to sit in Rondebosch Common and let all the beauty of Table Mountain and Cape Town soak in one more time. My time there was nothing short of beautiful and mesmerizing and my biggest worry was assimilating back to “reality.” I came home and nothing really seemed to have changed. I was scared that all that I went through, all the knowledge I gained and all the personal growth I experienced in SA would have been lost or stayed behind when I came back. That was foolish of me to think. Cape town is one of those places that will always remain with you. Like I said, I now have two home and I’m glad I was fortunate enough to take part of this adventure.

Rondebosch Commons with Table Mountain in background.

Maria looking forward to being reunited with study abroad "co-educators"

I cannot believe I am writing my last blog about my study abroad experience in South Africa. After extending my trip 10 days it doesn’t feel real to be back living in my own home since I have been away for about 4 months.  While it has been so nice seeing my family and friends I cannot stop thinking about Cape Town and just how free I felt and how at home I felt.

I was so fortunate to be able to extend my trip; attending Afrika Burn was really a once in a lifetime experience and it was totally worth it. It is a community-based festival almost in the middle of the desert that resembles how people believe life should be lived. Onna, Dani, and I and our 2 friends spent 4 days there meeting people and having great conversations. It didn’t feel like we were in the middle of the desert because people made us feel so at home. After arriving back from the burn we had a lot of time to relax and unwind before we headed home. Writing about my time in Cape Town is much easier to write about than my transition home. It was something that was always in the back of my mind since I was really nervous to tell my friends all that I had learned and seen. While they appreciated everything I had to say, no on can fully understand unless you experience it yourself. Being home has also made me even more eager to get back up to school so I can be with the friends I made abroad. This was not something I was expecting but I really did make some friends that will last a lifetime.

Overall my transition has been okay but it is definitely a work in progress and I think will be for a while. I am looking forward to taking our reentry class when I return to school in the fall so I can have the great conversations I was used to having while abroad. Here are a couple of pictures of Afrika Burn that I took!