Dear future UConn Study Abroad in Cape
Town participants,
Get ready for some of the best three and
a half months of your life. With only one week left in the beautiful city of
Cape Town, I find myself wishing I could be in your shoes. I don't want to leave
–I want to rewind the days and relive all that I’ve done.
 |
| Emily W, Jenna, Katrina, Morgan |
You will meet some truly amazing people.
This I promise you. I didn’t realize how many people have impacted my life in
an extraordinary way until now when it is time to start thinking about having
to say goodbye. I interned at Tafelsig Clinic and have gotten close to all of
the sisters (nurses) working there. I have shared many laughs that I will never
forget. And I shared many serious talks that have made me think about my life
and the world I live in. Look around the room at all of your co-educators. In
your pre-departure course you will have first impressions. You might call
people “the quiet one”, “the loud one”, “the odd one”, “the cool and
intimidating one”, “the know it all”, etc. Forget about these titles and forget
about the impressions. Most of these will be challenged. You may look around
and get nervous that you won’t become close with any of them. The first week in
Cape Town might be awkward. You will sit next to strangers and make small talk
about where you’re from, how far away you are from UConn, what your major is,
etc. But soon these strangers will become your best friends. Soon they will
become your family.  |
| Manuela, Ava, Val, Katrina, Lauren, Kiya, Jenna, Snigdha |
While I will travel with my 26 new
friends on the plane back home, I will be forced with more goodbyes at the
airport. We will all go our separate ways back to our hometowns with a whole
summer before heading back to UConn. I can’t stress how scared I am for this
moment to come. When you live with 19 people (and 7 more a couple streets away)
in a new country, it is no surprise that you get to know each other very well.
While there are some opportunities for alone time, I enjoyed spending most of
my free time in the presence of others. I was constantly around the co-educators
I lived with. I think about going home and about how I will be alone at home
while my parents are at work and my sisters at school and I get scared. I’m
going to miss sitting on the couch in the pool house and laughing with all my
housemates. I’m going to miss blasting music and having random dance parties.
I’m going to miss running to Woolworths and grabbing coffee and grapes with
Emily. I’m going to miss being sarcastic with Manuela. I’m going to miss having
Sarah right next door to me because it’s impossible to have a bad day when you
talk to her. I’m going to miss waking up and hearing Sniggs singing ‘Timber’
from her room. I’m going to miss always having Cassie to talk to on nights that
we both decided not to go out. I’m going to miss Val’s jokes and her always
asking how my day was at internship. I’m going to miss hearing Johnny singing
Disney tunes and ‘Sunday Morning’ all the way from the main house shower. I’m
going to miss having the most hilarious conversations with Katrina where we
joke around the entire time but make it sound like we are being serious and how
honest Jen always is. I’m going to miss Melanie’s stories that never fail to
make me laugh and every conversation that I have had with Lauren because they
are so great in a way I can’t even try to explain. I’m going to miss how down
to earth Ava is when I talk to her and how sassy Kiya is. I’m going to miss the
genuine conversations that I have had with David and how positive and happy
Allie always is. And most of all I’m going to miss sharing a room with Morg and
always having her right there to talk to when I needed to. I’m going to miss
all this and more.
 |
| Morgan, Johnny, Jenna |
Go far past your comfort zone and do more
than you could ever imagine. Jump out of a plane. Jump off of a bridge. Jump
off of a mountain. Climb a mountain. Ride an elephant. Ride the train. Ride a
mini bus (even if the American Consulate tells you not to). Ride an ostrich.
Eat ostrich. Eat springbok. Take a springbok shot. Go on a safari and spot
springbok. Go on a bush walk at Kruger. Go to Long Street. Go to the beach. Go
surfing. Get your nose pierced. Get your ears pierced. Get a tattoo. Take time
and take it all in. I would drive down the road and see mountains on one side
and the beach on the other and I couldn’t help but be astonished. Pause every
now and then and reflect. Write in a journal if you can. If there’s one thing I
regret, it is not writing down enough. I will always remember the big things
but the little memories might fade away with time.
 |
| Katrina, Sister Castle, Emily, Morgan & Jenna with folks from Tafelsig Clinc |
You might find yourself changing. This is
okay. It’s for the better. With the semester coming to an end, I have been
spending a lot of time reflecting. I think back to the beginning of my journey
and the person I was. I don’t think I will realize how much I have changed
until I am back on U.S. soil but if one thing is true it is that I have in fact
changed. My mind is in a different place. My eyes have seen more and my ears
have heard more. My heart has grown. I have learned so much about South Africa.
I have learned so much about other people. And I have learned so much about
myself.
I have found happiness in South Africa
and I hope you do too.
With all my best,
Jenna
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