What a beautiful ride it has been!

Well, the time has almost come for me to head back to Minnesota.  Just two days!  This week, my last in South Africa, has felt strange and has been filled with a lot of sad goodbyes unfortunately.  I cannot even begin to express how many great friends, lessons and experiences I have met and learned here and not only how very, very difficult it is to leave it all behind, but also to say goodbye.  I cannot seem to wrap my head around the fact I am actually leaving.  It is such a strange feeling!
 Who I was five months ago seems so strange and who I am now, I have to say, is someone I am very pleased with.  I think Africa was really a wake up call and a "kick in the pants" that I really needed to be the best version of myself.  Its not that I didnt like myself before, and its not like I had been making "bad" choices at all, but I just really think Africa changed me into a better, more well-rounded, globalized person.  I think back to the beginning of my time here in Africa, especially the first time I drove through a township and experienced what absolute poverty looks like.  It broke my heart into a million pieces to realize that is a reality in our world and to see it with my own eyes changed my whole life-for the better.  I take shorter showers, I eat less, I realize what it truly important in life and I constantly tell myself to be thankful for everything I have and never take things-or people for granted.
One of the biggest ways Africa has impacted me, as I mentioned, is the way I eat.  Here in Africa, not only are processes foods less accessible, but they are not as common-which is GREAT, since nearly ALL foods are so processed in the states its sickening.  I had been debating it ever since I got here, to become a vegetarian, and after my experiences in Hogsback and Bulungula, where animals were killed in front of me-it pushed me FAR over the edge.  I have decided, that since I cant kill it, I shouldnt be eating it and that from here on out, I am a pescetarian, meaning the only meat I eat is fish.  No beef, chicken, lamb or anything.  I also looked into a lot of research regarding this type of diet and found that in many, many ways this diet can lower your cholesterol dramatically, and be really helpful to the environment. (The less meat humans eat, the less land we take up for farming cows, pigs, chickens, etc and the more land we save for plants, trees, nature, wild animals, etc!)  I have been following this diet for six weeks now, and I already feel better than I ever have- so I am pretty excited about it!
Another way Africa has changed me is the beliefs I had about the world.  Coming from such a small town, sometimes is can be hard to think globally and outside the box.  Dont get me wrong, I love my small town, love it to death, but there is a reason I chose Africa.  Not only because I was already obsessed with the idea of coming here, but because it was different.  Different than anything I had ever seen, done or experienced.  I wanted to live in a culture and place in the world totally opposite from what I was used to-and I am so glad I did.  It really can open ones eyes and give them a bigger perspective on things.  Also, as I said, I have realized what is really important in life.  Here in South Africa, people dont sit and text or sit on facebook on their phones while in the presence of othes, especially during a meal.  It is considered EXTREMELY rude and thats because it is.  Be warned- if you think answering a facebook post, text message, tweet or email is more important than talking to me just in general, or at dinner then I am getting up and walking away.  Facebook dosent matter.  Emails can wait!  Your in an actual, person to person conversation, and it is disrespectful to pay more attention to your phone-an object- over another person and what they have to say.  Another thing I have realized, from going to places like Bulungula is just how poisonous money and things can be.  Researchers who publish statistics in social science books would consider the people of Bulungula to be at the absolute poverty line, meaning they live on less than $1.25 per day (U.S).  The thing is though, is that those people choose to live that way.  They are some of the happiest people I have ever met, because they find happiness in the simple things in life.  They work, simply by themselves, for everything they have and they find satisfaction in it.  They are happy with their lives because they have never known how much they "dont have" or they have never been put into a culture to realize what every one else "has" compared to them.  What they have is what they need and thats that.  Now, take those same people and put then in the middle of Johannesburg, where they then realize how little or how much each person has in this world and they become accustomed to relying on money and things to survive.  Now what? Now, they realize the difference between poor and rich, now, instead of working for what they have, in terms of a self-made house and self-grown food, they now work for the sole purpose of gaining money, and as much as possible so they can buy as many things as possible.  Suddenly, things begin to revolve around things and money.  When I came to this realization, it really made me think of all the things I have that I dont need.  Do I need a brand new, 2012 car?  Do I need a smart phone?  Do I need things, things, things?  No, of course not!  But, thanks to good ole society and money, I am told, day, after day after day that I need, need, need, want, want, want things, and without those things, my life is incomplete.  So,  yes, I have a new car, but I am going to try to depend less on it.  Walk where ever I can as often as I can, not only to save gas but to enjoy the simple things in life.  Like the fact I have two legs and good health to actually walk places.  Or the fact I live in a place safe enough and nice enough to walk by myself.  Yes, I have a smart phone, but I dont need to be on facebook and twitter and whatever else at all times throughout the day.  I will now spend less time doing that and more time working out, and just spending time with people, doing actual things that matter!  The thing is, is it really is the little things in life that matter the most.
Another thing that really opened my eyes is just how incredibly hard it is to be an international student, or just to be an international traveler anywhere!  You are in, what you consider to be, a strange new place, where the typical languages are not your first language or your language at ALL and you have to find things on your own, make friends, find your classes on your own on this strange new campus, and figure out how to handle school not only in a different country, but in a different academic setting where grading and a lot of the styles are completely different.  I can tell you from experience-its tough!  At all times, I felt eyes on me, looking at how I dressed differently, how I spoke differently and how I was just different.  Its intimidating!  You also have to figure out, usually by yourself, how your classes work as far as grading and what the professor wants from you, because now, you are in a different system.  Grading in South Africa could not be more opposite from grading in the U.S!  I also think back to my time at St. Cloud State University, where there are a large proportion of international students, but a lot of U.S SCSU students ignore them, or I feel like judge them before they even know them, especially if they are Somalian.  Yes, they may be different, they may have a different skin color, they may dress differently, they may speak differently, but hey, I remember being that very same person and just how tough it was!  In the future, I for sure know that I will be more conscious of other international students as well as encourage others to do the same.
Africa has also taught me that each and every day and every thing you do in that day is a once in a life time opportunity.  Some things may seem more relevant to this than others, but if you sit down and think about it for a second, its true!  I think back to my best and greatest times here in Africa and say to myself, "wow, that really was once in a lifetime."  I will never be in the same place, with all the same people ever again.  It makes me sad at first, and then happy, to have had such amazing experiences and then I also learn from it and realize that I need to take in each moment and grasp onto it as much as possible because I may not ever get the chance again. Other things that are so much more tedious, like just every day, simple things that we often "wish away" are things we should be more careful to enjoy and not take for granted.  Each day you wake up is another opportunity, another chance to do something-anything- and at the end of the day, if you wish you hadnt spent time doing something, or you were so board, that, simply, is your life your wishing away!  Each day is special and eventful in its own way, you just have to take the time to see it!
Finally, as I am literally getting my suitcase out to pack it right now..its really hitting me.  My life long dream is nearly over.  Ever since I was little, Africa was my dream.  I dont know why, but I was obsessed with it.  The more goodbyes I say, the more real it gets and the more in denial I become.  Even though its over, which is really, really hard to me to accept, God, it was one hell of a beautiful time!  I think back on all my amazing experiences and a smile comes to my face.  I think of all the amazing friends I met from all over the world, and I am so happy, but so sad at the same time.  I got to see elephants, zebras, lions, leopards, hippos, wildebeest, water buffalo, giraffes and great white sharks, all in their natural environment! I met friends from all over the world and got to learn about so many different cultures-which is such a great experience.  I got to see some of the most beautiful sunsets in Botswana, among the acacia trees (my favorite!) where the entire sky was a bright, blood orange and sunrises over the ocean, where, as Forrrest Gump says, "you couldnt see where Earth started and Heaven began..."  So beautiful.  Or the amazing roar of Victoria Falls..if I close my eyes and think on it, I can still hear it, and smell the mist in the air and picture the biggest waterfall in the world!  Such an amazing experience.
Well, this is it folks.  I hope it was interesting to listen to all of my adventures, I cant wait to tell you all about them in person!  I keep telling myself, over and over and over "Dont cry because its over, smile because it happened.." and that its not "goodbye" only "see you later."  Easier said then done though.  Part of my heart will always, always be in Africa and to say I am so truly, truly blessed to have had this experience and meet the people I did would be the understatement of my entire life.  Its been the experience of a life time, one I could never forget and one hell, of an interesting, life changing experience.  See you all in the states in three days!

Bulungula

These past four days marked my last "trip" in South Africa, but it could have not been more unique an interesting!  Myself, my roommate Heidi, and our good friends Johanna and Parker decided to spend two nights and three days in a remote isiXhosa village about six hours from Port Elizabeth.  When I say "remote" that is an UNDERSTATEMENT.  It took us TWENTY hours to get from Port Elizabeth, leaving at 3:30am, and finally arriving in Bulungula at nearly midnight!  We took a bus from P.E to East London, which was about four hours, (and just like usual here in South Africa, the bus was late) then from East London we took another bus to Umtata.  Then, when we arrived in Umtata at about 2:30pm, our next step was to find a long distance taxi at the taxi rank in the center of town..HOWEVER, to get to the taxi rank we had to first find a short distance taxi to take us there.  Which literally meant hitchhiking on the side of the road.  This wouldnt usually be a big deal, BUT, we ended up getting separated since Heidi and I jumped in one taxi, thinking Parker and Johanna were right behind us, when at the same exact time, they did the same thing!  However, they didnt quite see us jump into the taxi, apparently, it looked like we just vanished!  So, thinking Heidi and I were lost/kidnapped/GONE, THEY WENT TO THE POLICE STATION AND REPORTED US MISSING. haha!  Eventually however, they got a hold of us on our cell phones, and all was fine.  We ended up each taking two seperate long distance taxi's from Umtata to Elliotsdale, meeting up with them and then all being together the last leg of the trip.  The last "leg" however, was the four of us, SHOVED into the back of a tiny, tiny truck with a topper and about twenty other South African's AND TONS of food.  It was honestly absurd how much was stuffed into the back of this truck.  It was the most uncomfortable I have ever been in my entire life, but, hey, everything is an adventure!  After FOUR more hours along the WORST roads I have ever seen we finally were at Bulungula!

Immediately in the morning we walked along the beach and watched the sunrise, which was beautiful and very peaceful!

 After watching the sunrise and eating some breakfast, we decided to follow/help a isiXhosa women for a day!  We got our hair wrapped up in their traditional scarves, our faces painted like isiXhosa women usually do and then helped with all the chores she usually does on a regular basis.  We carried buckets of water on our heads, (or attempted to at least! haha!) piles of sticks on our heads (again, attempted) helped grind maize for a traditional isiXhosa meal called pup and then we also helped to make the meal too!  Being a isiXhosa women is TOUGH!  Bulungula is paradise and I thought really laid back, but it is eye opening that these women work all day just for a single meal for themselves and their families!  Everything is very simple, but also, because there is no technology everything is a process and a lot of back-breaking work.  This experience is one I will always carry with me, because I literally got to see, first hand, what it is like to be a women in a completely different culture.

These are the bricks that isiXhosa women MAKE
themselves and then build huts out of.
One hut can take years to make.

A traditional isiXhosa Women's headwrap!

Traditional isiXhosa face paint.
Made from different colored clay and water.

Grinding maize to make pup!

Its DEFIANTLY harder than it looks! 

Pup with cabbage- a traditional isiXhosa meal!
This took 5 hours to make because we had to gather wood to make
a fire, water to boil the ground maize in, we had to pick the cabbage
and grind the maize before we could even start cooking!

After spending the day with the isiXhosa women, we spent some time hiking within the village, which was of course, beautiful!  Although beautiful, some parts were not glamorous!  We hiked though thigh-high think, wet muck for quite a long ways, rivers up to our waist and also up some pretty steep hills!  Again, an adventure!

After hiking and being busy all day, we spent a little time studying before dinner (since we do actually have finals this week still! haha!) and then got up this morning for one last beautiful sunrise!

Bulungula is truly a place I will never forget.  It was so hectic to get there, but also such a fun, exciting and at time, scary adventure.  I am so blessed to have lived in and experienced a culture so different than my own.  The people of Bulungula are some of the kindest, nicest people I have ever met and I am so thankful for their hospitality!  I even got to practice a BUNCH of isiXhosa, which will hopefully come in handy for my final exam on Wednesday! (Crossing my fingers!)  It was so funny and interesting to see the looks on the village people's faces when I would greet them and talk to them in isiXhosa.  They defiantly did not expect it!   All in all, Bulungula was the perfect "last trip" here in South Africa!

Swimming with Great Whites

On Thursday, one of my life long dreams came true!  I swam with Great White Sharks!  The sharks were absolutely fascinating and honestly, HUGE.  We saw a total of seven sharks, four being about 4.5 meters in length, and the other three being about 3 meters, which is still HUGE and very intimidating.  At first, the sharks would just swim around the cage and circle, but then, about ten minutes into our dive, they started to become more curious.  They started biting the cage, and when the dive instructors would bring the chum line near the cage, the shark would attack it, and end up smashing into and biting the cage.  It was so intense but I also found myself pushing myself back against the back of the cage so I could keep my hand and feet inside the cage while the shark was smashing up against it-which was actually pretty hard to do!  When the sharks were biting and smashing up against the cage while trying to get the chum line, they were literally inches from my face, which was very intimidating and intense!  The raw power behind the great white bite was something I had always heard about on shark week (the best week of the year!) but there is nothing that compares to seeing it up close.  The teeth and jaw of the shark is absolutely MASSIVE and when the shark bites, its ENTIRE body shakes and you can tell its just one, big, giant muscle putting all its force into the bite.  Just CRAZY.  At no point was I scared, I was more intimidated and exhilarated, but I will say that keeping my fingers and feet all the way inside the cage was a challenge, so that made me nervous at points, especially when the sharks were inches from my face.
Diving with Great Whites still dosent seem like real life, just because it was so amazing, interesting and because I had waited my whole life to do it.  I had the time of my life and I am so, so, SO glad I had an opportunity to swim with Great Whites!

Our booties are different sizes? whoops?

The Cage

So excited!!

View from inside the cage!

Bars to balance on for the feet.  There was also one for the hands.

Robben Island/Lions Head

This past Tuesday, four friends and myself headed to Cape Town!  On Wednesday morning we began the day touring Robben Island, the island off the coast of Cape Town, where political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela and Govern Mbeki were held during the Apartheid.  The ferry ride across the bay from Cape Town to the island was quite long and wavy, but very beautiful!  While on the island, we learned a lot of interesting things, such as the island was also used to house South African soldiers during WWII and that what you were fed while you were a prisoner, was based on what race you were.  Most of the tour was given by an ex-prisoner that was held on Robben Island for seven years.  Some, like Nelson Mandela were held for 27 years however, and forced to work in lime mines in 45 degree (Celsius) heat for 13 years!  Many prisoners became blind and very ill from this labour.  Also, one of the prisoners, Robert Sobukwe was held in complete isolation.  He wasnt allowed to talk to ANY other person and was the only person held in one specific part of the prison, all by himself. The tour of Robben Island was very interesting, but also very heartbreaking, to hear the horrible things that happened, just because of race.

Robert Sobukwe house

View from across the bay at Cape Town and Table Mtn

What prisoners were fed, based on their RACE.

Our tour guide, who was a prisoner for seven years on Robben Island

Nelson Mandela's Prison cell. He spent 27 years here!

On the way back to Cape Town!

After Robben Island, we headed to Lion's Head, next to Table Mountain, to climb and watch the sunset!  It was a TOUGH climb, but totally worth it.  The scenery was stunning!

The climb got a BIT steep!

View of Table Mtn from Lion's Head

Sunset atop Lion's Head!

Sunset