Anna has had a plethora of incredible adventures

Tomorrow will mark two weeks since I landed in Cape Town.  The plethora of incredible adventures and new experiences we’ve packed into a short amount of time make me feel like I’ve been here for months.  I absolutely love everyone on this trip.  I feel so at home, and sometimes I even forget that I’m across an entire ocean from home.  I will forever remember our journeys up Signal Hill, seeing African penguins, and eating at amazing restaurants.

Upon exiting the Cape Town airport, I was relived to feel the warm sun on my skin and see Table Mountain welcoming me.  One part of Cape Town that I’ve particularly enjoyed is the beauty of its environment and its people.  Everyone I’ve met has welcomed me with a smile.  The performers on the streets, the artists selling their crafts at markets, the workers at museums and the aquarium – they’ve all showed me gratitude and respect, something I wasn’t sure I would receive as an American.

These interactions have also given me further insight into my own privilege.  As a white person, I have never been in the minority, but here in Cape Town, this definitely changed.  Being the only white person in a group of people of color is the norm here.  I only see white people in the wealthier areas of Cape Town – like Rondebosch – and when there are white people working at restaurants, they are usually the servers while the people of color are in the kitchen.  This divide can be seen throughout Cape Town.  Neighborhoods are divided using highways or other landmarks, with townships being on one side and mansions on the other.  It was shocking to see the juxtaposition of these living conditions; there is nothing like that in Connecticut.

 

Anna at Women's March in Cape Town

As for the political climate here, everyone asks me about Trump directly after I say I’m from the States.  There is a sense of sympathy toward me when I say I obviously do not like him – maybe because they feel the same way about their own President.  However, participating in a Women’s March here in Cape Town was empowering.  Capetonians are known for their protests, so being able to join fellow Americans and Capetonians in a protest against Trump was an exciting and moving experience.