Time for a Bit of Catch Up

So I have clearly failed at keeping a regular update on my blog, but I must say that my weeks continue to get busier and busier as time winds down! While my classes have been officially over for a week, my "extracurricular" agenda seems to be piling up (just can't help being that popular). Okay so I have a lot to cover in this blog since I have been MIA to the blogspot for quite some time. Let me see, the first thing I did since we last "spoke" was attend my program's farewell dinner at a fancy restaurant called Marimba. I, like the rest of the students, found it quite strange, not to mention a bit depressing, that our farewell dinner was taking place over a month before our actual departure. But, who am I to turn down a free delicious meal? Everyone got all dressed up and we exchanged toasts as people reminisced about the times we have had with one another over the past 4+ months. To be quite honest, that is all I want to say about the dinner right now because the word "farewell" just isn't doing it for me at this moment in time. On to the next day. That Saturday was one of my boss's/coworker's 24th birthday, so she had a bunch of games planned to play in celebration. We were all forced to dress in 80's attire, which made for an interesting cab ride and walk down the street downtown. Some how I had managed to bring leopard print spandex, colorful hightop converses shoes, and leg warmers (don't ask) all the way to Africa, which put me in competition for best dressed of the day. It was probably a good thing that my outfit was so unbelievable because it would be only fair to say that my partner and I did not bring our "A" game...anyway. 

The next Tuesday was our final Trinity class and dinner. The oh so wonderful Sibs took us to La Columb, which has consistently been ranked among the best restaurants, not only in South Africa, but in the entire world. Needless to say, this night was quite a treat for the 7 of us as we got to enjoy a five-course meal with each course paired with a different wine. 

A few days later Courtney and I teamed up with some of the other staff members at our internship to chaperone a trip to a lion sanctuary. One of the prizes of the 24-hour tournament was a trip to the lion park which was great because it was the first time that a vast majority of the children got to see a lion. It was pretty wonderful to see the excitement that the children experience upon seeing the first lion. Nervous smiles ran across each one's face as the large cat approached the fence growling at us. It really put things into perspective a little bit as I thought about all of the amazing things I have been doing these past 4 months and how I have been fortunate enough to see lions on various safaris and even walk with them for an hour at Victoria Falls (which I STILL need to write about). It was hard to think about all of these things as I stood there and watched children who have lived in Africa for several years and had never gotten to see the things that I have in such a short period of time. I was really thankful that I got to be a part of this highlight in their young lives.

That weekend I was fortunate enough to have my first visitor of the semester! Elle, one of my roommates from Trinity has been studying abroad in a science research program all around South Africa for the past 4 months. I have seen her once or twice for a couple short teaser visits, but since her program was all finished last week, she came to spend her last 4 days with me in Cape Town. Because her program had come to the city for their spring break, Elle had done most of the touristy things, which allowed us time to hang out and do things that we really wanted to do without any rush. One day we went to the waterfront and shopped around a bit before enjoying a bite of half-price avocado and banana pizza (trust me on this one, it is AMAZING...I don't care how it sounds). The next day we went to lunch with my friend Sam and then Elle and I went to Greenmarket Square, which is the main marketplace downtown where you can bargain for all sorts of African-made goods. In the evening, we met up with a few friends to climb up Lion's Head, which could quite possibly be my new favorite thing in Cape Town. The Lion's Head hike lasts for a little under 1 hour and is rather easy compared to those of the surrounding mountains. However, it provides one of the best views of the city because of its 360 degree view of the beaches and downtown. We managed to make it to the top with plenty of time to sit down, enjoy some bread, cheese, and wine, and watch the sunset. The view was incredible because the clouds covered the ocean water, providing a somewhat eerie, but otherwise beautiful landscape from the top of the mountain. It really felt as though we were looking out of the window of an airplane because we were on top of the clouds that hung low over the water and stretched out as far as the sun. We were able to get a great look at the 12 apostles, which are the mountains that fall behind all of the beautiful beaches of Cape Town. Once the sun set and it was dark, the full moon rose on the other side of the mountain over the city. The moon provided enough light for us to look down on the city and see all of the buildings that we go to everyday. It was truly a wonderful evening filled with amazing views and great company and I was so glad that Elle got to be a part of it! Later that night, we joined Sam, Shane, and the other people from our internship at a fancy club downtown where we spent the night dancing and having a good time.

Today Elle left South Africa to go back to the United States. I was pretty sad watching her leave because not only did I not want to see her go, but it made me realize what little time I have left in this incredible country. I am having such an amazing time with the people that I have met and the lifestyle that I have become accustomed to over the past 4 months. I cannot see myself just up and leaving, even though I know it is inevitable. Going abroad is such a strange experience because you spend every day for 4 1/2 months with the same people in a foreign environment sharing incredible experiences, and then just leave almost as if nothing ever happened. While I will take all that I have learned and experienced with me back home, I am currently having trouble grasping the fact that I cannot also take my friends and the place that I have called home for the semester along with me.