This past weekend most of us went on the Garden
Route, a three-day tour a few hours from Cape Town. On the first day, we went
on a safari and saw a wide variety of animals, including lions, giraffes,
rhinos and many many more. I enjoyed learning a lot of random but interesting
facts about them all. Some of us then went on an obstacle course and zip line,
and then to Pilli Pilli Beach, which was beautiful. I swam in the Indian Ocean
for the first time, which was such a cool but weird feeling as it made me
realize how far away from home I am. On the second day of the tour we walked
with elephants! It was awesome to see such huge animals up close. However, my
favorite part of this day was bungee jumping off the highest commercial bridge
in the world! It was pretty nerve-racking to say the least but I am so happy
that I did it. Once I jumped I wasn’t scared anymore and just enjoyed it; It
was so freeing and the adrenaline rush was amazing. Definitely one of the most
fun things I have ever done! Finally, on the last day of the Garden Route, I
chose to go to the Cango Wildlife Ranch and had the opportunity to pet a
cheetah, one of my favorite animals, and a lemur (both are really soft!).
While this adventure was a great experience, I also
felt a little guilty about it returning to my internship on Monday. I work
in Khayelitsha, a poor township, and I felt uncomfortable telling people there
about my weekend when asked. It was so extravagant, and while relatively
inexpensive considering everything we did, it was still quite a lot of money,
and something I know most people with whom I work could never afford. I felt
weird telling people about it; I don’t want to be perceived as the rich, white
American girl who is here just to have a three-month long vacation. And I felt
guilty that I spent so much money on this and that I will do other fun things
like this in the future. It made me feel conflicted, like I should be instead
using that money to somehow make a difference and help people. I came here
because of the program’s focus on human rights and because I believed I could
make a difference here. But I also came here for myself, and I don’t know how
to reconcile those two things. I love doing adventurous things and exploring
different places, and want to have these really cool experiences like the
Garden Route, but in a way it also seems selfish. I think it is going to take
me some time to sort out these thoughts and feelings and that being here will
lead me to think more deeply about these things.
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