What was the highlight of your trip?
Emily: There were so many highlights of my trip it is hard to name just one so I will have to name a few.
- Our program took us on a Garden Route trip along the coast which was a fantastic way to start the semester. I rode an ostrich (which I would never do again!) and fed an elephant (who knew they had hair?)
- My parents and uncle came for my spring break and we fulfilled a lifelong dream of going on a safari in the Kgalagadi Park that straddles South Africa and Botswana. We ventured through the park for almost a week with a guide, taking in all the incredible animals in their natural habitat. We stayed inside the park at campsites where at night the sky was pitch black and full of stars. It was truly remarkable being awoken one morning at 5am by our guide to see a big herd of giraffe at a watering hole right behind our site only to be scared away a few minutes later by a hyena. It was like right out of a NatGeo special!
- My two best friends, Megan and Michelle, whom I have known since first grade also came to visit me at the end of my program and we went shark cage diving and skydiving, which were thrilling experiences!
- I had to learn how to drive on the opposite side of the road (which was an adventure), and the street names are painted on the curbs down there!
- Volunteering in Kayamandi (local township) was one of my favorite parts of my study abroad experience. I helped with arts and crafts and sports each week with elementary school students. There was a language barrier as most students spoke Xhosa and did not know much English, but they were so welcoming and full of love and it was fascinating to see how they lived. They had a very humble school, not many resources, and sometimes not enough desks for all of the students. It was an eye-opening experience that I will never forget.
What was a typical morning like?
Emily: I studied abroad at Stellenbosch University and lived on campus in apartment-style housing with other international students. In the morning I would wake up and have some breakfast while listening to the loud music coming from my neighbors next door who were from Malawi. :) I'd take a quick shower, hop on my bike with my backpack and ride to class as I took in my beautiful surroundings. I'd try to take new routes to class each day to explore different streets in Stellenbosch.
My classes were great. I took South African History, Politics and Cultural Change in Contemporary South Africa, South African Music, and an Afrikaans language class for beginners. Though I loved my history class, I think Afrikaans and Music were my favorites. Afrikaans is one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, a mix between Dutch and German. My Afrikaans teacher was amazing, each class was very different and always engaging. We sang songs, played games, sat in circles, role played and always had a break for some tea.
My music class was also very interesting because I learned about lots of different South African musicians and how music shaped the culture of the country. I also rediscovered my love for Paul Simon who collaborated with the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo on Graceland during apartheid - which caused a lot of controversy! Taking this music class piqued my interest in listening to the radio a lot more while I was there and in turn I discovered a few South African groups that I love (DNA Strings and Freshlyground, check them out!). The AIFS program even took us to a DNA Strings concert which was amazing! I also went to a Jazzfest in Cape Town during my spring break with my parents and uncle which was a blast! Finally, I took a wine class for a certificate which was really fun because we got to try all different kinds of wine!
What about a typical afternoon?
Emily: I would usually meet friends for lunch either in the Neelsie (student center), somewhere in town or head home to grab a quick bite to eat. In the afternoon if I didn't have class I would take a nap and/or hang out on the grass in our courtyard in the sunshine doing my readings for class or other homework. During my time in South Africa, there were also daily power outages for months (due to ESKOM strikes) so this made life a little bit more challenging. If we went grocery shopping we'd have to eat our food quickly so it wouldn't go bad or buy non-perishable items. At first it was a huge inconvenience, but after awhile it was kind of fun figuring out ways to entertain ourselves without power.
And a typical evening?
Emily: At night, we'd have to light candles in our flats to read/do homework. No power meant no internet so we'd make sure our computers were charged so we could watch movies at night, lots of talking with friends, and random dance parties in our flat. It certainly made my study abroad experience very unique, and I learned to not take electricity for granted! I also decided not to get a cell phone while I was there so I was more disconnected than most which at the time I loved. t was liberating. I still emailed and Skyped with friends and family back home. I studied abroad before Twitter and Instagram and Facebook was still fairly new back then so I was on there a bit, but it was good for me to not be connected all the time. Some nights we would go out to dinner and then hit up the local bars for drinks, dancing and live music. Bohemia and Mystic were favorites or we would go to house parties with international and local students.