UConn's Education Abroad in Cape Town 2017: Kaitlyn finds the word "weird"the only way to describe being back home

Weird is the only word I have to describe being home, at least right in the beginning. Everything felt so natural of course, since I have lived here all my life, but it was all so unreal at the same time. The last four months in Cape Town became my new reality so it’s odd being back in my typical reality that surrounds me in Westbrook, CT. A few days after being home, I drove up with two of my friends to the Bronx for a Yankees Game. We were stuck in some traffic close to/right over the NY border and there was an older man selling water bottles on the highway; he was walking through the traffic, yelling that there was water for sale, and going up to car windows to sell it. My two friends were in complete shock at this man, but it was something that seemed so natural to me, given the fact that that is the norm in Cape Town. This wasn’t necessarily good or bad, but it made me come to the realization that situations like this will continue to happen often and remind me of Cape Town. I know I’ll have the urge to talk all about it, but depending on who I am with and what the topic is, I know I need to hold back some of my thoughts and feelings. It is one thing I am really trying to focus on; however, I also have noticed how easy it is to keep my trip as a whole to myself because it was four months that no one else can understand and I’ve accepted that… I just thought it would be way more difficult to do so.

My friends have changed, but so have I. It was so so wonderful seeing some people, but also so tiring. I’ve accepted the fact that most people won’t want to hear about my trip, and I honestly prefer that; it’s something I want to keep inside me, something special and unique that I’m lucky to share with my co-educators. It was refreshing explaining more details to a few people who genuinely cared, but that was plenty for me. Even my dad on the way home from the airport was acknowledging the fact that it’s just an experience that no one else can ever understand (even with him visiting and seeing so much, he still knows he cannot understand it all); it is truly indescribable and that’s just what I say when someone asks me how my semester was. I find myself constantly looking through my pictures (definitely on a daily basis), just reminding myself of my life there and how I can bring a part of it back to my life at home. I miss living with all my co-educators and owe them a HUGE thank you. I learned so much from all 16 (& Ethan) about life itself through our daily conversations, internships, class, random stories, and using them as support since being home. I love that we’re all at UConn (we’ll miss ya Kat) and I’m so thankful this program was faculty-led and set up the way it was because it allowed me to meet these amazing people that have become some of my absolute best friends whom I never would’ve known otherwise.

Since being home, numerous people have told me how I radiate happiness and look as if I’m truly loving life (both now after returning home and in all my pictures while in Cape Town). It’s been reassuring to hear that because that shows me how much my outlook on life really has changed and been noticed. My time in Cape Town taught me to truly cherish every single moment and make a serious effort to take less things for granted. Even though being home is not something I was looking forward to, it’s comforting to know that even other people can recognize my contentment with life in general, something that wasn’t fully there before this semester. I’m just a happier person and it feels great. This summer has already been crazy busy for me between my CNA class, work, and seeing family and friends, so it’s helped to distract me a little. I second what Maddy said and would easily jump on a plane to go back if I had the option, but I know I’ll make it back some day (although that might not be for a while). Being home, I can feel how I’ve changed and all the knowledge I’ve gained. I learned more about myself than I thought I could and that’s already been helpful while being back at home. I control some situations better and have a more matured, aware view of them. I learned what the true definition of love feels like. I miss the kids at Maitland Cottage every single day, but I learned so much about my future career while interning there. Being home has allowed me to fully comprehend just how much I’ve personally grown and how amazing the last four months of my life have been. Knowing that so many people out there would never even be able to fathom doing some of the things that I have done, has pushed me farther than I thought I could go; I know it will continue to motivate me to be more active in my community. I’ve seen first-hand how one person can truly affect the behaviors of another person; I want to continue to see and do that… just as Kieth Rose says, I hope to “be all things for all people to reach some.” Thank you, Cape Town, for reviving my passion for life and for the most humbling, genuine, fun-filled adventure.