Throughout my two weeks abroad this winter I feel like I?ve seen and experienced as much as a whole semester at school. We have been to so many places, from paragliding down from mountains to learning about how businesses are affected by load shedding and other issues pertaining to South Africa. My time here has been nothing short of insightful and has helped me reflect on the world and myself, and I would recommend this program to anyone in a heartbeat. This program has broadened my horizons and allowed me to not be as susceptible to blind spots in society because I am blessed and take what I have for granted. My perspective was wrong in the sense that I believed that South Africa was a beautiful tourist location with affluent people and a high GDP; however, once you get here you realize the disparity between the top 1% and everyone else. Most people, myself included, don?t realize how everything relates to one another and how something from years ago can have a drastic effect on what you may think is a minute thing in the present day. I wasn?t all wrong about this country though there is both beauty and darkness, but the beauty of this country doesn’t come from the endless oceans or the mountains that top the sky. It comes from the people, their generosity, the willingness to accept foreigners with open arms, the sense of community they have, and the love they have for one another. I personally think that just by interacting with the people of Khaylesia and just South Africa as a whole I learned more than I ever could?ve in a textbook. This has been the experience of a lifetime and I encourage everyone to at least come here once in their life whether it be through CIBS or just on their own. Just by experiencing another culture and what it has to offer, I can safely say that my life has changed.
