"The journey of 8,299 miles begins with one step."

It’s been three weeks since I’ve been home now and I honestly cannot believe it. Upon entering this week however, I think it’s finally safe to say I’m adjusting. The first two weeks were actually quite hard for me to get reacquainted with the States. It didn’t help that I developed a case of shingles the day after I landed which pretty much controlled my life. Besides battling that, I just didn’t know how to communicate my experience to my friends. Of course I showed them videos and pictures, and some stories that stuck out in my mind, but more often than not I found myself just saying “It was awesome. It was an experience of a lifetime” and then going on to ask more about their lives for the past three months.

But of course it was so much more than “awesome” and the “experience of a lifetime.” I have learned not only so much about myself, but about another country half way across the world and the people in it. I was constantly pushed to dig deeper every day and in return have built great bonds with some amazing people. People I hope to go back and visit one day. They had always made us feel welcome and in that short amount of time we all have become a family.

Coming into this experience I was excited but really had no idea what to expect. A quote that I find to help me get through new experience is “leave all expectations at home.” With always remembering that, you leave little room for disappointment. This experience was a complete whirlwind for me and as I sit here now I still can’t believe I just lived it for two and a half months. I will miss that life and I often think of memories throughout the day like seeing the ocean from my bedroom window, eating Sago pudding, and hearing those darn birds wake us up every morning bright and early at 6 a.m. (didn’t really enjoy that part too much) but none the less they’re still memories that I cherish.

It’s amazing when I think back about my time there. I can still remember a day right in the beginning of my trip when we had the afternoon off so we decided what could be better than laying on the beach all day. Well, that never happened but an even better outcome occurred. We played on the beach with the local kids of the nearby communities for hours and on that day we didn’t even know how to say hello to them in their language. By the end of the trip we were rattling off phrases and were able to able to get by (at least for a little haha) speaking their language of Xhosa.


“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” (or 8,299 miles in my case) and I could not be happier that I made that first step.

Backpacker's Paradise

I just got back from a trip to Bulungula, also known as backpacker’s paradise, and it was just that. From the moment we arrived at the place I was in awe. Simple, hippie style with bright colors everywhere. A fire-pit sat outside with benches surrounding it as the waves crashed in the background. Yes, this is the perfect place to come and get a break from all the schoolwork we’ve been doing.

On Tuesday we embarked on the “Women in Power” tour where we learned to collect water from the spring and carry it on our heads as well as collect firewood from the nearby forest. I must say, even though I had a small bucket, it was still just too much for me to handle. I don’t’ know how these women do it everyday!

Wednesday morning we woke up at 4:45 a.m. to participate in the “Pancakes at Sunrise” activity. We walked down on the beach and climbed one of the biggest dunes I have ever seen. As we sat there watching the sun peak through the clouds, a woman was preparing our pancakes over a barrel of fire. It was an amazing time and the pancakes (really like a crepe) were absolutely delicious! That afternoon my two friends and I walked along the beach until we got to a point of un-passable rocks. We climbed up on what we called pride rock and were in constant awe as we looked at what we had in front of our eyes. It was truly breathtaking and even referred to as the most beautiful place on earth. The highlight of sitting there, as if it could get any better, was the sighting of a pack of dolphins. There were at least five of them and swimming right in the waves as they were on the brink of breaking. It was awesome to watch, and if the shore weren’t so rocky I would have gone right in there after them. My childhood dreams of being a dolphin trainer came back to me that day.

So as my backpacker paradise mini-vacation has now come to a close, we are back at the Haven where we have one more day of official class. Our final teacher leaves on Saturday morning and after that we only have a week and a half left at the Haven, which will be full of research proposal work. After that we have five days of traveling back to Cape Town and then I can’t believe it, but I will be home.

Until next time everyone,
Be safe, happy, and have fun : )

The Simple Life

When we first arrived at the Haven Hotel a couple weeks ago, I thought I was in a new world. The hotel is situated in the heart of the Cwebe Nature Reserve, which makes up the Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve. I live in a thatched roof cottage where I am constantly surrounded by horses, birds, and even a zebra, and can see the ocean from my window. It’s very different from the States, but it’s the simple life, which I greatly enjoy and missed out on. Sometimes you just need to take a break from the constant going in the States and just appreciate the world that we have in front of us. Being here for me is getting back in touch with the no-frills lifestyle and taking time to appreciate the little things that I would sometimes forget about back in State College.

However, last week I took the simple life a step further. I just got back from spending a week at another nature reserve called Mkambati. With no power and living in a remote location by a river, it was definitely a different experience. When we first arrived late at night, after one of our vans getting stuck on the “road” leading to the lodge which was little more than a path beaten down by the animals, I opened the kitchen cabinet and a few cockroaches climbed out. I instantly thought, what am I doing here? However, within the next day, I began to appreciate this new way of living. We were greeted by monkeys sitting outside in the trees on a daily basis. I spent my time there doing fieldwork, which consisted of watching the various animals on the reserve and counting the number of bites each one took. As I sat there looking out at the beautiful and vast landscape every day, I just couldn’t stop taking in the beauty and appreciating this life that I had in front of my eyes.

"A picture is worth a thousand words....

Today as we began our journey to the Eastern Cape, we had the opportunity to visit and drive through some communities, which could also be known as “slums.” After the group visited a local youth center we were walking back on the street and I was just observing the atmosphere as I had my camera around my neck. Three little boys walking down the street noticed and instantly run up to me full of excitement because I had a camera.

After I took a picture of them they wanted to use the camera. Each boy was so eager to get his hands on that camera and were even more ecstatic when they could see the result of the image they captured. I couldn’t get there hands off of it.

The short encounter was one of the best experiences I have had so far. Something so simple as to taking a picture, and yet with the excitement that filled the air, I could have sat there for hours with those boys showing them how to and letting them take pictures. Those simple moments are the ones that I am truly thankful for and is something I will never forget.

“Maybe I’m just a girl on a mission, but I’m ready to fly……”

It was always a dream of mine to travel to Africa. But I never thought it would happen when I least expected it. Ever since I found out that studying abroad in South Africa for my spring semester was my destiny, I kept counting down the days. Now it’s finally here, and I truly can’t believe it. For months, I told myself I was going, and now actually going is on my fingertips. I leave tomorrow.

After the past two weeks of preparing and packing the stress has definitely kicked in. For some reason I just can’t get my bag to be 50 pounds, no matter how much stuff I take out or with the help of Annelise, re-arrange it. It’s now at 55 pounds. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see my fate tomorrow at the airport. Hopefully they’ll show mercy.

Tomorrow I begin my journey of a lifetime, and after a full day of preparing,it really has hit me. I cannot believe I am really getting on a plane tomorrow for South Africa. I know this journey will be the experience of a lifetime and I am ready for it to begin.

Until next time,
Lexi