Sunday, March 10th

It started with a visit to Langa, the original township created to segregate non-whites under the Apartheid regime. Today, although many residents are underprivileged and oppressed, it is a community filled with culture, art, and humanity. In some ways, it is beautiful.

What absolutely blew my mind was experiencing how positive people can be in any circumstances. The people of Langa have created a vibrant community despite so many challenges; and they somehow seem to carry no bitterness. It’s a life lesson for all of us. You can choose to be happy and to spread happiness. This outlook and the warmth it creates is what has made me fall in love with Cape Town so quickly.

So we arrived in the morning at a community/cultural centre called Guga S’Thebe. There, we were introduced to a group of children who would join us in the task of cleaning up the local streets. With garbage bags in hand, we set out together. I found myself hanging out with two adorable girls named Hope and Simange. As we walked the streets on our litter-busting mission, my new friends told me about themselves, and taught me some Xhosa words. The girls are both 10 years old and in the fifth grade. Hope told me she wants to be a doctor, and Simange wants to be a CEO🤩. Bless their beautiful hearts, I hope they both achieve all their dreams. By the end of the day we were the best of friends and it was hard to say goodbye. There were many hugs, but I managed to stay dry-eyed behind my sunglasses. I sincerely hope they enjoyed the experience even half as much as I did. These two special humans will live in my heart forever.

It’s worth noting that even the youngest children were very kind to one another, with bigger always looking out for smaller. That spirit of positivity, generosity, and community, is all they seem to know. It’s a far cry from your average North American child, and it’s very impactful to witness. Huge kudos to the inspiring volunteers who make Guga S’Thebe so great. They create a warm and loving space for the children, they make sure the kids get lunch, and they teach them about music and art. I think this community is special. In this ‘it takes a village’ environment, kids like Hope and Simange can dream of any future they want. I am blessed to have been a part of it for a few hours.

And now to the mindf**k part…

Directly from this immersive, gritty, real world experience, we returned to our fancy modern apartments in the V&A Waterfront – the beautiful shiny touristy part of Cape Town. A bunch of the group went directly to a boat cruise, but I just chilled out on my own for a bit. I was sitting with thoughts around the extremes of South Africa, and feeling uncomfortable in my privilege. I was feeling like I am nowhere near grateful enough for all the little things. I was trying to work out what the rest of my time here should look like – keeping in mind my intentions and goals for this travel year. Then, my thoughts were interrupted by the very ‘happy’ boat folks showing up at my door and insisting I come for a late dinner. And somehow from there I ended up enjoying bottle service in a very fancy nightclub?! Talk about one extreme to the other…

Now, you may know I am not normally a Bottle Service kind of gal. But when you’re invited (actually strong-armed) to partake in the festivities, you make the best of it🤷‍♀️. Plus I’m open to all the things right now, so just add it to the pile. I don’t need to tell you I was out of my element at this upscale club. I think I had on more clothing than every other girl there combined🤣. But I very much enjoyed the spectacle of the service. Each new bottle was delivered with great fanfare, including flames and signage so the whole place knew we were ballin’ (cringe word for the young people). I only stayed for about an hour, then left the kids to do their thing. Had a great time though, and appreciated the opportunity to experience the high life for a moment.

So. You get where I’m going with this, right? About the mindf**k? I’m trying to find the right balance between bonding with my new family, experiencing all the great culture/food/wine/scenery, while also somehow creating a positive impact in a place that feels so deserving of it. And learning from the inspiring people I meet every day; working on becoming my best self. Oh, and also just working haha. So far the scales have been way tipped toward fun, but I’m hoping to settle into a more balanced ‘normal’ this week.

Anyway, that’s where I’m at. Absolutely loving it here, despite my jumbled thoughts. It IS only week one, so I’ll allow myself some grace…

More coming soon.

TL