Now, starting the month of March, I am FINALLY getting into a routine! Even though it is nice to finally adapt and get used to this culture, getting into a routine also means that time is now starting to go super fast! It is so easy to just get sucked into this routine and not fully soak in this adventure I am on, so I am making it my goal to fully embrace every day and be open to all of the little opportunities that come my way.
Since my last blog post, a lot has happened!
Over a week ago, a group of 12 of us rented three cars and drove to a place called Jeffrey's Bay. Jeffrey's bay is the surf hub of South Africa, and I could definitely feel the surf vibe while I was there! We stayed in a backpacker's called Crystal Cove where we were greeted with great hospitality - they served us a South African braii and even served us a few drinks! The waves here were also insane - I can definitely see why this place is called the surf hub of South Africa! The first night, we just hung out, enjoyed each other's company, and also enjoyed the natural beauty around us. The next day we went on a hunt to find this waterfall and cliff jumping place ... trying to find this place was an adventure in itself! We drove through many back roads and needed to stop every now and then to move the cows and sheep that were in the middle of the road ... sometimes it feels like I'm in Minnesota again!
However, it was definitely worth the hunt ...
The next day, I got to experience a South African church service. I met a girl earlier on that week, and she invited me to her church. The church service was extremely upbeat, and it also had a cool South African vibe to it - they sang songs in their native language, Xhosa! This was extremely cool because I am currently taking a Xhosa class, so it was neat being able to understand what they were singing!
The rest of the week, I went to school and the beach - it is extremely nice being able to go to school and then to the beach the same day! Later that week, I also celebrated a friend's birthday and also had quite an adventure with a mouse ... long story short, a mouse has been living in my friend's flat for awhile ... pooping everywhere and eating their sponges ... so on a Saturday night, we were trying to hunt it down and kill it. Well, we found it living in her blankets in the corner of her room, and it ran away under her bed. I guess our screams attracted a few people and before we knew it, there were 15 people in her room! It was quite a scene watching EVERYONE being afraid of a little mouse, and it is hard to believe that with 15 people against one mouse, the mouse was beating us. But finally, after 30 minutes, 2 guys carried the bed outside and the mouse ran away.
That week I also started volunteering at a place called Cheshire. Cheshire is a home to mentally and physically disabled adults. There I got to feed people their lunch ... this was definitely something I have never experienced before ... I basically baby fed these people. One person I fed was only physically disabled, but she also had difficulty speaking. It took awhile for me to understand what she was saying, and I could tell that she was getting frustrated. I could not help but feel helpless and vulnerable knowing that her thoughts were as clear as day, but I could not understand what she was trying to say. However, when I did understand what she was saying and repeated it back to her, the look on her face was priceless - she was ecstatic! I ended up staying with her for 45 minutes listening to her life story! That day, Cheshire definitely stole my heart.
This trip has definitely taught me to step out of my comfort zone, try new things, and embrace every little opportunity because otherwise I would have no idea on what I would miss out on. So today, step out and try new things - you never know what might come out of it.
Peace!
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