It’s been
about a week since I have been back home and I can’t describe the mix of
emotions and feelings I am going through right now. I came home to a bright
sign and flowers from my family! It was great to see them, catch up, and show
them my bungee jumping video and other crazy adventures I did while in Cape
Town. Over the past few days I’ve been asked how was Africa? This question is
very hard to respond to. How can I possibly describe the best 3 and half months
of my life in just a few sentences? What do I tell them? Should I go on and on
about how wonderful each and every one of my Grade R kids are? Tell them about
the more adventurous side? I have done so much in these past few months it’s
hard to sum it up. I have found that it is easiest to start with AMAZING! From
there I usually start to talk about what a typical week would be describing my
internship, classes and activist project. From there I usually throw in that I
went bungee jumping, hiking, paragliding and more adventurous things. Some
would ask more questions and others would just let it be at that.
I know that
from this experience I have changed and grown as a person. I know this but I
just don’t know how. I can’t exactly pinpoint what has changed about me but I
know something has. I know that thanks to my professors and co-educators that
they have helped me through this process. I didn’t realize how much I really
needed them and how much I would miss them until I came home. It’s been a week
and I find myself missing everyone and everything about Cape Town. Right now it
feels like I’m dreaming like this is unreal. Sure it’s great seeing all of my
old friends and family but I didn’t think it would be this hard. My
co-educators each played a role when I was in Cape Town and they are all my
family. It’s really hard being away from them and I find that I’m missing them
like crazy. And
I’ve been
missing little things about Cape Town that you don’t get in Wilton. I miss the
hustle and bustle of the city itself. The honking and yelling of the minibus
taxi drivers. Driving through Wilton today I realized how quiet it was. You
don’t see people walking around much, everyone just in their cars. The city
parts of Cape Town are what I thought I would never miss but I actually do. There
is always something to do and new things to see. Here in Wilton I feel like I
have already seen everything there is to see. Cape Town was rich with life and
so much history. Walking down the road or conversing with people in the shops
was a learning experience. Everyone in Cape Town is so open to talking to you
and really getting to know each other. They are a lot more opened to talking to
strangers.
One of the
biggest differences that I’ve seen in South Africa and particularly townships
like Ocean View and Nyanga is a sense of community. I feel like most places
around the US have lost that sense of community. Just walking through these
townships everyone knew each other and even if they didn’t they would still say
hi. All the houses were close together and right next to each other. You really
got to know your neighbors. Here I feel like that is pretty uncommon to know
and be very good friends with your neighbors. Especially these days you see
people building bigger and bigger houses. How are you supposed to find each
other in a house that big? In Cape Town I feel like people live more simply. It
was nice walking around with these guys from Nyanga and feeling safe and not
even worrying about crimes. In Wilton there is a sense of community don’t get
me wrong. I have grown up in this little town and here I can’t go into Stop and
Shop without seeing someone I know. People are friendly and there are good
people in Wilton. I just feel like at times in the suburbs and all over the US
people tend to be more involved in their own lives and material things. It’s
hard because the pace is so much faster here than Cape Town. Everyone is on a
set schedule going from here to there. The life here is just go go go. I find
it most challenging getting back into that mindset of having to go nonstop. I
find it most challenging of having the pressure to having to do something all
the time and feeling guilty for relaxing. I feel pressure to have to go
straight back to work and feel the need to always work. It’s hard to find time
for yourself and do things for yourself when you always have to worry about
pleasing everyone else and working all the time.
In Cape
Town, one of the things I’m going to miss the most is being genuinely happy
about life and what I was doing over there. While in South Africa I found my
passion again, I found my fire. In Cape Town I was doing what I loved which was
getting to know and spending time with kids. Kids make me happy and make me
want to wake up early in the morning and take a bus ride to see them everyday.
My Grade R class did not fail once to put a smile on my face. When I was
feeling sick or tired or whatever as soon as I walked into that Grade R
classroom and all of my kids greeted me with genuine smiles how could I be
miserable anymore? These kids from the very beginning gave me unconditional
love and care I needed to get by. They made me realize how much I want to go
into teaching. They gave me the joy and love I needed to get through rough
days. I knew that they could always pick me up. My experience would have never
been the same without them. I learned so much through them by just observing
and talking to them. It was everything I imagined and so much more. Sure I saw
that these kids who live in poverty and have nothing still so happy. What I
didn’t expect from them was how happy they would make me and how much love and
care they would give to me.
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| Kimmi with teachers at Christel House School |
This
applies to everyone in Cape Town though. My teachers, Loren and Alfreeda were
so opened and welcoming to me since the moment I met them. They shared personal
stories with me and we both opened up to each other. They were a true pleasure
to get to know. I learned so much about teaching but also about South African
culture from both of them. They are both very wise and intelligent and I feel
honored to have worked with them. My host family in Ocean View was also so kind
to Kelsey and me. They truly gave us everything and were so welcoming. After the
weekend I felt like I was part of a family again. It made me feel right at home
and was a nice change from living with sixteen students. Of course Chantel and
the kids from Ocean View were incredible as well. Chantel is such an
inspiration for her to work so hard and give back to her community is truly
amazing on her own. You can see how much the kids really did appreciate us
tutoring and even just talking and getting to know them. It was fun to build
relationships with kids who were a little bit older and who I could relate and
have conversations with. Lets not forget Amanda and Bongi who did a similar
thing to Chantel with the Firefighter boys tutoring club and the girls’ book
club. Amanda working with us to create a big/little program. It was a great
experience to be able to have a “little sister” and to communicate with her and
get to know her on a personal level. I enjoyed it when we hit the mark where
she came up to me and wanted to talk to me about personal things. I can’t
describe how much that means to me for her to want to tell me and trust me
about certain things she was going through. I think about Tania often and miss
her but I know that she will succeed and do well in life. She is a hard worker
and knows what she wants.
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| Kimmi & Kelsey with their family in Ocean View |
I will always remember and always love each and
every one of my kids and just everyone that I met in Cape Town. I know for a
fact that I will never forget my experience and my new life that I had over
there. While there I was able to truly be myself. I did not hold back with
anyone. Everyone that I went on the trip with and was living with by the end of
it they brought out the best in me, the me that I feel like I’ve never shown
anyone before. They made me feel comfortable enough to act crazy, scream and
dance. I could do whatever and they would be fine with it. We laughed, fought
and cried but in the end we all became close like a family and loved each
other. It was sad saying goodbye to everyone in Cape Town but also to the life
I had over there. I also learned to listen to myself and to take time for
myself. I was able to know when I needed to relax and hang back. There I had no
stress and did not have to worry about money and all of those little things I
have to worry about here. I am missing just living my life to the fullest and
doing what I want. I miss feeling a different type of freedom and independence
that I can’t get here. It is amazing what just 3 and a half short months can
do to you. I have learned and seen so much about others and myself there. I
have learned a little bit more of who I am. I have definitely filled in a
little piece to this big puzzle we call life. I look forward to continuing to
fill in those pieces. I know for sure that some day I will have to come back to
Cape Town because that’s what it does to you. It is like a drug it keeps you
coming back for more.
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