Sunday, February 19, 2012

Before I give the details of the final leg of my backpacking journey through space, time and Africa, I give you this...


Sunday, February 12, 2012

On Top



There's never a boring minute in the Mother City, that I can assure you. Dramatic, yet accessible scenery is at our fingertips everywhere we turn and it never gets old. So, last weekend David and I finally checked one incredible hike off of our To Do list. We took advantage of the monstrous mountain range in our backyard and hiked to the top of Chapman's Peak and watched an incredible sunset. But, we weren't done yet. We brought along sleeping bags and a tent and made a night of it. The sunset alone was so freaking sick, just a huge water colored sky with nothing obstructing our view. As it faded, we turned our attention to the dazzling lights of Haut Bay and man, did I feel small. There's something about watching thousands of people's lives go on beneath you to remind you of your tiny but unique place in the world. Not to mention the fact that the two of us were the only souls around for miles. I mean, sleeping on the mountain is not exactly legal, but it was definitely a risk worth it's consequences.


I will admit that I was somewhat scared during the night, but I am just that kind of paranoid, "this is how horror movies start" person, so it was definitely just me. And the view the next morning... DAMN. Even with my sleepy little eyes, it was breathtaking. I had never seen the ocean so calm or the misty clouds spread so thin over Noordhoek. Absolutely amazing - we win!

Live spaciously,
KG

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Pro's and Con's of Studying Abroad

Now, it’s come to my attention that this blog is being utilized as a reference point for students looking to study in South Africa. Sick. I’m flattered, actually. But, up until now, this blog has mostly been for show and tell and to put the minds and hearts of moms back home at ease. I haven’t always written about the things I don’t like, because I don’t like focusing on negativity. However, this post is a bit different. This post comes at a point where I’ve been here for nearly 7 months. A point in my stay where I feel as though I’ve experienced the majority of the highs and lows I’m going to feel. So I thought I’d share them with you. This is in no way an exhaustive list; these are just some of an American girl’s pros and cons of studying abroad.


Pros


  1. You learn things. Obviously, the biggest plus is getting to live in a new country and experience their culture. If you’re considering studying abroad, I don’t really have to explain to you why this is so damn cool. Exploring the world will make you a better person. Knowing about the world outside of America helps you in life. These are all obvious positive effects. What you might not realize is that living in a new country helps you see your own mother ship in a different (and if you’re American, most likely more accurate) light. I’ve come to understand that generally, Americans’ knowledge of the world outside their boarders is grossly lacking. When my boyfriends’ 14 year old brother could name more countries on a world map than me, I knew we were in trouble. And I’m not even the stupidest one around! So living here has definitely pushed me to take up an interest in the rest of the world. Weird concept, huh? I appreciate things at home that I never thought twice about like good customer service and the general freedom our youth has to choose their own path in life. Things like widespread higher education and a trustworthy police force. In stark contrast, there are things about home that now look horrible through my new eyes: our outrageous university tuition, the way we ignorantly waste our natural resources and our obnoxious, over the top patriotism. Among MANY other things. Oddly enough, there are other ways - better ways - of doing things than the American Way. So, you learn. About the country you’re in and the one you’re from and what they both mean to you and the world.
  2. You meet people. One of the things that I love best about studying here is that I can truthfully tell you that yesterday an Egyptian guy who grew up in Sudan helped me on the computer. I work with people from Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I live with Norwegians. I’ve learned just as much from having these culturally diverse people in my life as I have from simply moving here. I mean, it’s pretty sick to think that I will probably get hooked up with free lodging whenever I’m anywhere in Europe, but that’s just the start. I had never met a person that was fully German (not just the American version of European mutts) and now I’m in love with one. And being in love with someone from another culture is just completely fun and lovely. So even though I can’t tell if he’s making fun of me with his brother (which he probably is), I’ve learned new Christmas traditions and acquired a love for Weiss beer, although that wasn’t difficult to do. I like to think that I at least try to enrich my own life with bits and pieces of the cultures I’ve come into contact with. And I think it’s made me a better, more well rounded person. Now, I don’t just care about the politics or events happening in the States, I think about Holland, Norway, Germany and Belgium, too, because I love people that are effected by things happening there. And when you begin to care about specific people all over the world, it tends to spread out to all the others
  3. You realize how small you are. Are you still super depressed because you ruined that Marc Jacobs top? Is your head buried in a pint of Cherry Garcia because your ex BFF hooked up with your ex BF at a party that you totally weren’t invited to? If things of this magnitude are getting you down - TRAVEL. I swear to you, the shit that seemed so all encompassing and life shattering will indeed cease to matter once you set foot in another country, especially one that is poorer than your own. South Africa is no longer a third world country, but it’s not in top form just yet. So all of my suburban white girl problems faded fast when I got here. I want to see you complaining that Daddy doesn’t give you a big enough monthly allowance when the person walking in front of you makes 140 rand (approximately 18USD) for thoroughly cleaning houses all day. I want to see you cry that What’s His Face is the only one in the world for you when you are suddenly surrounded by millions of new people whose existence never crossed your mind. And if South Africa alone is filled with amazing looking people (which it is), imagine what the rest of the world has to offer. However, while these shallow grievances are definitely fixed when you become an imported good, deeper things - like “the bigger picture” - become more clear, as well. You don’t just forget about your problems because you’re thousands of miles away from them, you understand them in a new way and more likely than not, will figure out that they’re miniscule in a world so large that you just won’t care anymore. So basically traveling is like LSD, but legal.



Cons:


  1. Reality bites. When you’re in the good ole US of A, you don’t hear much about it’s flaws. We seem to think we’re perfect. Well, I’m not a treasonous terrorist or anything, but wake up America! We’re not really the shit. Don’t get me wrong, I love being American just like the next girl, and I really am proud of where I come from, but we just have to realize that other countries have it figured out better than we do. However, all too frequently, people feel as though they should fill me on all of our flaws. We can’t cook and we’re hillbillies. We're all fat and lazy, yet superficial. Trust me, I’ve heard an insane range of insults. And it’s not the stereotypes that bother me, I blame our media and the television/movies we put out that negatively reflect our values and image. Besides, we all secretly believe in certain stereotypes. Some of them are made for a reason. But since when is it appropriate to revert to an infantile sense of social manners and bring these stereotypes to the forefront of a conversation? Time and time again, people I’ve encountered have jovially commented on the average American weight, our sometimes mind numbing television programs and various other embarrassing tidbits in ignorantly confident banter. When I first came here, I couldn't really handle it. I got quite upset and took it as a personal attack. But now, I’m not offended because I know that they aren’t talking about me or my family, I’m not even offended on behalf of my country, because I know that many of those stereotypes are sadly true, I’m offended because they’re being rude. I don't mind openly debating criticisms and opinions, but not when they're based on blind stereotypes. Is it appropriate to tell a Chinese person to stop polluting? Is it socially acceptable to approach an Irishmen and ask him how much he's had to drink today? I didn't think so.
  2. You get home sick. Now, this might seem really obvious, but let me give it to you another way: sometimes, you’re sick of everything being so different. I’ve had the (not so) occasional craving for Butterfingers and I’ve definitely missed driving my Jeep, but none of that has been too overwhelming and I constantly appreciate my surroundings. But, sometimes, when things aren’t going well or I’m tired or annoyed or lost, I get sick of it all. Exhausted. Everything is foreign, even things I’ve adapted to by now are still not what I knew for 20 years. And while those moments only happen once in a while, what happens all the time is the craving for my friends and family. Not necessarily the familiarity of them, but the desire to share my experiences with them. You’ll find that when you thrust yourself into the cattle herd they call Studying Abroad, you instantaneously become best friends with whatever livestock you meet on the plane/room with/study with despite the fact that you don’t really know them. You’re sharing huge moments of your life with people that don’t really mean that much to you. There are heavy moral issues I’ve come across in South Africa that I wish I could talk through with my dad. I would kill to see my mom’s face light up at the sights and scenery. And not a day goes by that I don’t wish my friends could meet this absolutely perfect guy that I’ve fallen madly in love with. Problem is, it’s extremely difficult to explain what an entire country and culture and relationship is like through hollow words and flattened pictures. And sometimes it feels like no one will ever understand my experience.
  3. Eventually, you leave. You know it from the beginning: your time in South Africa, Spain, Brazil or wherever you choose to study is limited and whether it’s a semester or a year, it never seems like long enough. I guess I’m not the expert on this, I still have 5 months until I go back to the States. But, if the next 5 months go by as fast as the last 7 have (and I’m assuming they’ll go by even faster), I’m screwed. After the initial cultural adjustments, after you begin to think in their currency instead of converting everything to dollars, after you stop getting lost every day, after you pick up new favorite foods and make friends with locals, after you find your favorite spot to read or look out onto the city, after you feel like you live there, you leave. Chances are high that you won’t come back for a long time. It’s not as easy as going back to your parents house, and I imagine that it won’t feel the same. When you were a kid living under their roof, you didn’t realize the simplicity and beauty of it all. When you’re abroad, you do. So the difficulty of leaving is at the forefront of your mind the entire time you’re packing your bags. The return to real life is an adjustment. You are no longer on extended vacation. You must continue with internships, part time jobs and figuring your life out. You must take the next steps into adulthood. You must grow up. You might not like home as much. You might gain an insatiable itch to travel and being in the conservative constraints of American life might make you want to turn your skin inside out. You might not ever be satisfied with being home. I spoke to plenty of my fellow American students who swore that this experience had pushed them to search for employment, education and life outside of the states. Now, sure, most of them are full of shit and will revert back to their normal lives after a few months of being home. But, some of them, some of you, won’t be able to. And it’s a spell we cast upon ourselves.



Of course there are other negative and positive side effects that I did not mention. Smaller, bigger or specific to each person, these effects were not included for various reasons. I wrote what I wrote because, I guess they are things that I wished someone would have told me. Most people I spoke to who had just come back from their semesters just said it was fun. It was fun, they partied, they saw the sights. But no one prepared me for the extreme transformation I was about to get myself into. So, if you’re reading this and you’re planning on going abroad - do it. It really, truly will change your life.



Live abroad,

KG