I am currently staring at my calendar in shock and
sadness as I realize we have just over 6 weeks left here in South Africa. I
cannot believe how quickly the semester has gone by, how little time we have
left here. When I first stepped off the plane and into the Cape Town Airport, I
thought that 15 weeks was such a long time. But I am now realizing how short it
actually is, and I find myself wishing I could be here longer. I know that I
will be excited to see my family and friends (and my dogs!) when I come home,
but I also know how bittersweet it will be to leave this country that has
become a second home, not knowing if I will ever be back.
I absolutely love it here, and there are so many
things I have done that I will always remember, but there are also still so
many things I want to do and I have been feeling an urge recently to be
constantly doing something. I felt this keenly this weekend, as all I did was
go to Old Biscuit Mill and thrift shopping. However, it was also nice to relax
and catch up on sleep and I found I enjoyed myself, even though it was a
simple, uneventful weekend. Thursday we
did however have a nice surprise, as we had only one hour of class! Several of
us used our extra time to explore Kirstenbosch, which was beautiful and peaceful.
I also thoroughly enjoyed my activist project, which
I finally started in earnest this weekend. On Thursday night I joined my
co-educators who are working with the Firefighters, a youth boys soccer team.
It was so fun playing with the kids, and I felt so happy as it reminded me of coaching
my town’s youth summer track team. On
Friday, Shona, Ashley, and I went to Mam’s place, where she helps with a
crèche. Although figuring out transportation was quite tricky, it ended up
being so rewarding. When my family came a couple weeks ago, I had them bring a
suitcase full of my and Shona’s old stuffed animals, and this past Friday we
brought them all to the crèche. It is hard to explain the feeling I had as I
handed the young children dozens of my old toys. Seeing their eyes brighten in
surprise and pure joy almost made me tear up. It made me beyond happy to know
that my the stuffed animals that I loved so much can now bring that same joy to
children who have nothing, who have such difficult lives that no child should
ever have. Even though the children do not speak English, it was clear how
grateful they were, and it was so much fun playing with them. I am so excited
to continue working there, to brighten up the crèche and provide it with some
much needed supplies.
No comments:
Post a Comment