Well in the past 2 or so weeks, I have:
traveled across the coast of South Africa along the Garden Route... successfully bungy jumped off of the tallest bungy bridge in the world (terrifyingly incredible)... explored some pretty cool Cango Caves... eaten the best fish and chips of eternity... explored Cape Town... gone to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was in prison for 15 years... touched the Atlantic Ocean for the first time... had a wonderful 8 day/night homestay experience... pet a penguin (illegally)... eaten enough food to feed a family of 4 for a year... and have continued to learn more and more about myself.
Cape Town is beautiful. I mean, it's REALLY beautiful. So the thing is that leaving Pietermaritzburg was extremely difficult for me. If I had had to go straight home to the US after that I would have been a mess. However, this time in Cape Town has proven to be really great because I am beginning to prepare myself to come home. ((I will be back in Arizona on the 15th!!)) Cape Town is beautiful and really cool, but it does not feel like home the way Pietermaritzburg did. It's more touristy here and we're doing more touristy things, so it's helping me slowly prepare myself and detach myself emotionally from this place so I will be ok when I go home. I am honestly ready to leave now. It will not be easy to leave and I will definitely miss this place for the rest of my life, but I just do miss home and especially my family.
My homestay experience was so wonderful! I wish you all could meet the family I stayed with. It was a mother named Bernadette, father named Ivor, 11 year old son named Robin, and little sister 6 year old Aimee. I stayed there in their home in Ocean View with my roommate Kristina for 8 days and nights.
The area of Ocean View is an area that coloured peopled were forcibly placed during Apartheid. (reminder: "coloured" means of mixed race, part white and part black) So this community we were in was almost 100% coloured people. It was honestly the best picture of what COMMUNITY should look like that I've ever seen. Everybody cares about each other and is a big family. I can't even begin to describe this place to you. It was not the wealthiest area and it definitely has its own problems (what place doesn't?), but I just feel like they are really onto something there. I think God is pleased to see what they are doing and how they are living together.
Our little sister Aimee proved to be the entertainment of that time. She was so dang cute and funny. and SO sassy. She would make fun of my accent and then just smack me on the butt. What a little goof.
Guess what I'm doing on Saturday? I'm going SHARK CAGE DIVING with great white sharks! Hollerrrr! Yes, my mommy and daddy know and they are ok with it. I am uber excited. After watching them on Shark Week, I just had to experience it for myself. And somehow 24 other people on this trip had the same idea. Perfect.
Right now I don't even know what to write on this thing because I have missed so much! I think I'll just leave you with some pictures of bungy jumping, my homestay family, etc. Deal? Ok, sizo bonana! (see you!)
My little sister, Aimee!
Love, Me
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