Morgan is starting to feel at home

Morgan with Town Mountain in background

We have been in Cape Town for almost three weeks now and it is really starting to feel like home. Things that once seemed overwhelming like walking to and from the grocery store, using minibus taxis, and finding my way around the city are now second nature. I’m getting the hang of cooking dinner for myself and am getting into a routine of jogging around our neighborhood. “Routine” is probably not the best word to use because it implies that things are becoming boring, but I don’t think I could ever get bored of Cape Town. Everything here is an adventure. The simplest errands, like running to the drug store or waiting in line for coffee are exciting because there is always a new person to meet. Small talk is not annoying or awkward but actually enjoyable because people here are genuinely interested in how your day is going, or where you are from and what you are doing in South Africa. The only other city I’ve spent a decent amount of time in is New York, and is in stark contrast to Cape Town. New Yorkers (in general) are always rushing around and not willing to go out of their way to interact with strangers. Here in Cape Town, there are no strangers, just people you haven’t met yet. Asking for directions here easily turns into 5-minute conversation, whereas in New York City, no one has the time to stop. Being so far away from home, it is comforting to be in an environment where people are so kind and outgoing.

Sivuyile National Baptist Church in Gugulethu

One of my favorite things we have done so far was going to a Baptist church service in one of the communities. The majority of the service was in Xhosa, so I was a little overwhelmed at first. But then, an older woman standing next to me handed me a hymnal and flipped it to the right page and pointed to the Xhosa lyrics the church was singing. She flashed me a smile and made sure I was singing along the whole service long. I got such a weird, happy, feeling in the church. You could just feel the closeness and togetherness of the congregation. Everyone was there because they wanted to be there, it wasn’t a chore or something they had to get through. There was so much positive energy in the room that I couldn’t stop smiling. The old woman hugged me at the end of the service, and I almost wanted to cry because it reminded me of something my grandmother would have done. I miss my family so much, but it is hard to get homesick when I am surrounded by people like that.