New year, new me, right? A week after I rang in the new year of 2014 with my family and friends I packed my bags and moved myself across the world to Cape Town, South Africa. I lived, traveled, and backpacked this beautiful country for half of a year. I took part in an interactive, living classroom study abroad that took me from Cape Town to the Karoo, and back. We moved places every 3 - 5 days in our VW van. To say that it was a trip of a lifetime was an understatement. In South Africa my passions for learning, business, helping people, and life came alive. I completed over 12 projects including a business proposal for an energy incubation company I one day plan to see rolled out for real. I took the time to really start writing and get in touch with my long-term goals as well as what I really wanted out of life. And most of all, I got to meet some people that changed me. I got to teach classes of high school seniors about microfinance, I got to talk to home owners about their energy needs and their energy infrastructure, I got to talk about innovation with people from some of the best universities in the world. And the best part was, I was in a gorgeous country that I knew nothing about when I landed in Cape Town. Seriously, I didn’t even really know what apartheid was when I first landed. The people, the culture, the landscape, and the potential for such a growing country is amazing have taught me so much about the world and about the possibilities. I came home with $3 in my pocket, but I felt as though I had won the lottery. Traveling certainly does make you rich, but when you can really indulge in the culture and meet the people behind it, you have hit the jackpot. Now that it has been about a year and a half, I definitely romanticize parts of the trip. It was definitely hard work, and sometimes the work and the heat and the living conditions broke me. But funny things like afternoon tea and biscuits, and having some great people by my side built me up again a whole hell of a lot stronger.
I loved getting to live and learn in South Africa, on my own safari for knowledge and self-discovery. I found so much in the middle of desserts and on runs that led me to the most beautiful beaches. I danced with women that could not speak a written language, and helped those who have seen struggles I have never even imagined. Getting out of your comfort zone is hard, and for many, South Africa is a hard pill to swallow, especially when you leave Cape Town, but it’s worth it. Give a country so rich in history, culture, and diversity a chance. I did. And I am so much better for it.
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Author: Allyson DitizioGeographer, yogi and occasionally creative writer. Archives
September 2016
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