End of an Era

As most of you know, last month David and two of his brothers took to the road for an incredible journey to Juba, South Sudan. Sick of only hearing negative news about Africa, they began a project called Letters to Juba and will drive through nine countries talking to people - politicians, teachers, artists, bus drivers, activists, gardeners - gathering letters of encouragement, advice, and innovative ideas for development of the world’s newest country. When they arrive in Juba, they will aim to begin 5 grassroots organizations based off of ideas they received on the trip, and they will compile the letters and information into a formal report to show some head hanchos in Juba. It’s important that the leaders of South Sudan look to the past in order to avoid major pitfalls of corruption and poverty that have seized other African nations. 

They’ve just recently made it to Mozambique after major car trouble, but they’re posting inspiring letters and photos of their trip to their facebook page and their website. If you’re African, let them know what you think about their project, the development of South Sudan, or what innovative ideas have helped out your community the most. And if you’re not African, words of support always leave warm fuzzies!

This project has been amazing to follow so far, and even though it meant the end of something special, I see it as a sacrifice to the bigger picture. I had been helping David with the project for so long that when it finally took flight, it was a bittersweet symbol of the end of my own trip. The overwhelming presence of final exams allowed me to avoid feeling anything for several weeks, but now that those are over, reality is all up in my grill. It’s surreal to think that I flew here 11 months ago and it’s already over. Cape Town has changed me fundamentally, structurally, and it’s difficult to think about leaving when coming back seems like a pipe dream. It’s difficult to think about leaving when I feel as though I could lose it all by flying away. It’s just difficult to think about leaving, really. This year, I’ve become the woman I have always wanted to be, and I have never been happier in my life. The prospect of losing that is terrifying.

It is this newfound happiness, however, that propels me to search for my next adventure because, I guess I just love the way the world changes you when you let it. I came here blank and empty, and I’m leaving whole, full of the ineffableness of traveling, of places and cultures that cannot be summed up neatly. Full of the images that no cameras captured and the sounds that no one listens to. 

The last few days have been a circus of last meals, final tours, goodbyes and see you later’s. Some of us are lucky enough to see these faces back on our home campuses, while others might only be remembered through photos and annual nostalgia. But either way, we all know that Cape Town has left us with more than memories. And the things that we felt as we stood here together will be the invisible threads that tie us to each other for the rest of our lives. 

Live happily,

KG

bay day

Holly's sister was visiting for a while, so we had a good excuse to take a break from the books, thank you, rebellious teen Jesus with a patchy beard (that's how I imagine him). One day consisted of a day at the Water Front and an impromptu sailing trip just before sunset with a one legged captain and a couple of bottles of wine. The little cruise turned into drunken sailing lessons (completely open water - don't worry Ma) and I don't think it could have been better if it was raining Butterfingers and burritos. That's saying something, people! There are tons of people that will take you on a harbor cruise for practically nothing, and if you go at the right time (like us), you have the boat all to yourselves! After that, we chowed down at a Scottish pub called Mitchell's which has unbelievable honey beer, and then we headed home!

The V&A Water Front is supposed to be modeled after SF's Wharf, but besides the tourist priced food and the fleet of boats, I didn't notice many similarities. However, seeing as how it's one of the biggest tourist destinations in the city, I figured I had to check it out at least once, and I'm really glad I did. With the sun kissing your face and that salt water air, nothing's that bad, right?

One final, one week and one 30+ hour flight until I'm home! Chea!

Live wisely,

KG

Groovy Routes

I am once again posting about something in the not so distant past, but better late than never, right? Last month, I finally had the chance to see the lovely Garden Route that I had heard so much about. The Garden Route is comprised of a hand full of adorable little seaside towns (think Laguna Beach or Santa Cruz) with the furthest point being about 10 hours away. So, after a sick Avicii concert to kick off our break, Karina, Holly, Shannon and I loaded up our gear and spent Spring Break on the coast!

 Everyone does the Garden Route their own way, but if you ever find yourself out that way, let me give you a few hints..

Say YES to...

1. Staying at Wild Spirit Backpackers in the Crags (pictures 2,3, and 4). If you have a bit of vagabond gypsy in you, you'll love the organic breakfasts, amazing views, roaming family pets and general vibe of this hippy haven. Make sure to spend a day at the lagoon in Nature's Valley and hike Pigs Head for a 360 view of the area!

2. Bungee Jumping in Tsitsikamma! At 216 meters (708 feet) it's the world's tallest commercial bungee. I'm desperately afraid of heights, but it was really fun to watch the crazies fly and be around all the adrenaline.

3. Making a trip to Jeffery's Bay (pictures 5 and 6). It's a world renown surf spot so there are really cheap lessons everywhere. That also means that it's got quite the population of fun kids that want to surf by day and get ultra rowdy by night. We stayed at Island Vibe the first two nights, which was great because it's known for its parties and locals hang out there all the time. But, for our third night, we opted for a cleaner, quieter place called Hard Rock Backpackers which was also awesome with an insanely friendly owner.

4. Going to Addo (pictures 7, 8 and 9)! Addo National Elephant Park was by far my favorite part of the trip, and a highlight of my entire year. It was amazing to see the freedom that the animals and the visitors had, as there are no gates, fences, anything between you and the animals. We were lucky enough to see 3 out of the 12 lions in the whole park, and although we didn't see as many elephants as other trips I've heard of, the hand full that we saw were up close and personal. Quite honestly the most humbling experience I've had in a long time.

5. Staying at the Fairy Knowe. This was our last stop before Cape Town, and even though it was raining and miserable out, I loved this place. It was a great deal for a private, 4 person room, they have 2 friendly stafford bull terriers that wanted to play all day, and it was in the midst of the beautiful town of Wildnerness which hosts quaint shops, amazing eateries and hiking/kayaking adventures of all kinds.

Say NO to...

1. the drive to Oudtshoorn. Now, maybe I'm a bit biased because our experience was not great, but the drive to Oudtshoorn did not seem worth the time. It's home to the Cango Wild Life Ranch and the Cango Caves, which both seemed pretty cool at first. But, in all actuality, the ranch was a hardly glorified zoo and we didn't even make it to the caves because they were even farther out of the way. However, I have heard that it's basically just a guided tour and it's not natural or adventurous at all. 

2. Stopping in Sedgefield. It's just past Wilderness, and it's where we spent our first night. The backpackers was okay, but the town had nothing else to offer besides being on the beach. I would suggest either stopping in Wilderness or powering through to the Crags which is only about an hour more!

3. Saying no! My biggest lesson from this trip is to say yes! We didn't do a few activities because we thought something better would come along that we would rather do. But, by the end of our trip, we felt like we hadn't done much at all. Of course we had fun, saw amazing sights and enjoyed the trip, but we didn't do much. Raft, hike, zip line - just do!

Live positively,

KG