Savannah will miss this place she calls home

Now that the trip is coming to an end, there are still so many little things that I want to do. One of the things that I've always wanted to do is shadow the girls at Tafelsig Clinic. 

Today, we showed up and all of the seats in the waiting room of the clinic were already taken. We got right to work and were calling people into the room to take bloods and dress wounds (which is Allie's forte). I watched Emily and Katrina take bloods and was a little nervous trying myself because I have only ever put IVs in patients that were asleep under anesthesia. I have learned from being at Maitland to be more confident in myself and trust that I am capable of doing things. I jumped right in and took two patients bloods and it felt like a great accomplishment. It was really amazing to see what the girls do there on a daily basis and meet all of the wonderful staff. 

Tomorrow is the last day of internship and it's going to be a bittersweet goodbye. The time has really flown by at Maitland and I'm starting to realize how much I have really learned. I never thought that I was going to be interested in surgery, but now I am considering being a nurse in the OR (or the theatre as they call it here). Within the last couple of weeks, I have gotten a lot closer to the sisters and some of the doctors. It's really going to be hard to say goodbye to them. It's going to be especially tough saying goodbye to the kids though. There are some patients that have been there long before I even got there and it's so disheartening that I won't be able to see them again. One of the girls, Emorensia, always greets me with a smile and jumps up into my arms whenever she sees me. It's amazing to think that I can just take a plane ride home and return to my normal life while they're still bound to their bed waiting to get better. 

As I reflect back on my time here, it seems like I've been here for much longer than 3 months. I have gotten so familiar with Cape Town that it feels like home. I am, however, very excited to go home and drink Dunkin iced coffee and meet my niece (not necessarily in that order). I know that when I get off that plane at 7 am I am going to miss this place I call home. What a journey it has been!

Savannah's excursion experiences

Last week’s excursion to Jo’burg and Kruger was a nice change from our everyday life in Cape Town. When getting of the plane in Jo’burg, we were greeted with tall buildings and humid air. The first night, we were taken to a steakhouse where I took full advantage of the R220 spending limit. I got steak with potatoes, a large salad, and a chocolate brownie. I didn't hold back to say the least. 

While in Jo’burg, we visited the Apartheid museum. A guide took us through the 2.5 hour tour telling us interesting facts and giving us great insight. As we entered the museum, we were given a ticket that randomly classified us as white or nonwhite. The nonwhites were given a separate entry into the museum. As we walked through there were pictures of Mandela and other anti apartheid activists and several exhibits. My favorite exhibit was the video celebrating Mandela’s life. It was so astonishing seeing such a powerful figure that was love by many. The Apartheid museum was definitely my favorite museum that we visited. 

After a 7 hour bus ride, we finally made it to Kruger. On our way into the park we immediately saw monkeys and elephants. Soon after we saw impalas and giraffes. That night, we went on a game drive and saw a leopard, lions, and hyenas. Our guide, who apparently had very good vision, spotted a chameleon in a tree and pulled over to pick it up. My pictures from that night did not come out very well, but it was nonetheless exciting to see. 

Emily K, Savannah & Katrina overlooking the falls at conclusion of weeklong excursion 

By the end of the week, I was finally ready to return home to Cape Town. As much as it pains me to say, we don't have a lot of time left here and there are so many more little things I want to do here before I go home. One of them being all you can eat sushi downtown. I think I'm going to bring that idea back to the states. 

Savannah working her way through her Cape Town bucket list

This weekend, I crossed several things of my bucket list here. They may have been small, but I finally did them! 

On Friday (I think it was, the days sort of blur together here), a group of us went to go see the Sound of Music performance at the Artscape. I grew up on watching the musical, so seeing it live brought me back home. All of us dressed up and had a very "adult" night with our swanky wine glasses and high heels. Emily B. and I had to take a break from being an adult for a minute though to grab a candy bar at intermission. 

On Sunday, I had a much needed relaxing day. We went to St. James Beach, which I have been dying to go to for weeks. The water is turquoise and there was barely a cloud in sight. The rest of Cape Town was a wind tunnel that day, but St. James just so happened to have the slightest ocean breeze. I was perfectly happy sitting there and just taking it all in. That afternoon, some of us grabbed lunch at the Brass Bell, which overlooked the water. After eating out delicious meals, we sat in the sun and had dessert. I ate a blondie the size of my head as well as bites of Mel's and Emily's desserts. I don't hold back. 

Yesterday was also unexpectedly eventful. I got to scrub in on a surgery for the first time, which means that you are helping the surgeon operate on the patient. It doesn't get any closer than that! After that, I was feeling accomplished and ambitious. That afternoon, I successfully inserted an IV drip in a patient for the first time. In both instances, I remember being extremely nervous at first. It was to the point where I couldn't even think straight. I've learned that each task they give me is not impossible and it is an opportunity to grow. I don't want to turn down things that make me uncomfortable because after each time, I have always been impressed and proud of myself. 

As an end cap to my weekend, I had my first pottery class in Claremont last night. In high school, I loved making pots on the wheel and found it almost therapeutic. It's hard to find alone time here, so this is something I wanted to do by myself. The studio is in a woman's garage and there were several other students there as well. The teacher, Dee, was very helpful, and by the end of the night, I had already made 3 coffee mugs. There was also a tea break during the class which I couldn't help but laugh at. I think I want to bring the tradition of tea time back home! 

I'm sure I'm forgetting bit and pieces of my weekend, but I'll be sure to write them down next time. I'm already planning on crossing more activities off my list for next weekend!

Savannah on lessons learned and friends made

Last weekend we travelled outside Cape Town to a beautiful olive farm for Human Rights Weekend. When I first got there, I didn't know what to expect. There were a lot of new faces and different cultures all mixed into one large group. The first night we were there, we had a delicious buffet dinner and had the opportunity to meet our fellow co-educators. We fell asleep on full stomachs and in the morning, as if out of a movie, we were woken up by roosters. 

Savannah introducting self to group

The next day was full of different activities and workshops that gave us a better insight as to what human rights are. One specific exercise, called a new world, stood out to me. Basically, there were two countries that were given the best land, two that were given infertile land, and two that didnt have any land at all. Each country had to delegate how much land they should have and how they were going to come to a solution. This seemed like a fairly straight forward task at first, but countries started to disagree and become "violent". This exercise was there to show us how easy it is to revert back to violent ways of thinking. We were not given a hard task, but we struggled to come to a solution. 

Savannah making new friends

I had a great time with Africa Unite for the rest of the weekend. It was truly a pleasure to get to know all of them and can now say that I have friends that come from all parts of Africa.

Savannah receiving Africa Unite Human Rights Training Certificate

Savannah's memorable moments

These past two weeks have included some of the most memorable moments so far from this trip.  Two weeks ago, we had our homestay weekend where Morgan and I stayed with Auntie Alice and Uncle David and their two kids.  The first day we arrived, we were fed an amazing meal of chicken, salad, lentils, and malva pudding.  With our bellies filled, we headed back to our host family’s house and chatted with Auntie Alice before Morgan and I headed to bed. 

The next day, all of us met at Auntie Alice’s crèche for a Valentine’s Day walk with the kids.  What amazed me the most was that there are about 40 children that come every day and only 3 teachers to help.  Most of us were paired up with one or two kids, and by the end of the day, we were exhausted.  I remember crawling back into bed for three hours until it was dinner time. 

After our busy day at the crèche, Morgan and I slept in and went to the beach with our family.  They took us to Fish Hoek, which had beautiful turquoise water and a gorgeous mountain backdrop.  We waded in the warm water and took it all in.  Uncle David was telling us about how Fish Hoek was an all white beach during apartheid and how his family wasn’t allowed there until Mandela opened them back up.  It was so interesting to hear how his family was directly affected by this period in time.  For South Africans, apartheid is a piece of history that is still fresh.  Most of the natives have lived through it and have their own individual story to tell. 

After some delicious fish and chips, we headed home and called it a night.  The next morning, before we went home, we attended a church service in our family’s garage.  The minister was kind enough to have the entire service in English because Morgan and I were there. The service was not long, but it was filled with a lot of music, laughter, and love.  Before it was time to leave, Auntie Alice sent us off with a loaf of banana bread and some cream puffs for the ride home.  I was so amazed with how our family took us in so quickly and how much they cared for us.  I can’t wait to return and share many more memories with our loving family.