Brittany: on being back

Brittany (in red) with co-educators at University of Cape Town

I’ve been back for almost three weeks but the reality that I can’t go back has not really set in. I guess I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had time be homesick for Cape Town. Don’t get me wrong I miss Cape Town, especially my friends but I haven’t been depressed as I thought I would be. However, since leaving Cape town, I have gone through so many emotions and have had time to reflect on my experiences.

When the plane touched down in New York on May 1, the weather matched all of our moods, depressing. I said goodbye to the friends who had grown to be my family in the past 3 ½ months and began on my way to Connecticut. It wasn’t until my MP3 player started playing “I’ll be seeing you” that I broke down and started crying. The song reminded me of all the people that I had left behind and of the beauty of Cape Town. At that moment New England looked affluent and depressing. I just longed to see one minibus taxi. I thought that I would miss Cape Town like this forever.

However, my mood didn’t stay depressed for too long. I was so excited to see all my family and friends. Also, due to my three month stay in Cape Town, I began to look for a job as well. In addition, I have been focusing heavily on my LSAT  and on an upcoming wedding. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to sulk about Cape Town. I do miss the little things of Cape Town like the catch phrases that everybody in Cape Town uses. I miss the ability to use public transportation to go anywhere I want. One thing I don’t miss though is the cold. Perhaps when things slow down I will have less distracting me from missing Cape Town.

As far as returning to Cape Town, I definitely want to return soon. But how soon depends on a lot of factors, especially my ability to finish schools. But I’m already looking for ways to come back with graduate school programs. I will always have a place in my heart for Cape Town and I am looking forward to having a lifetime relationship with the city.