30. Shap Shap, Joburg; 'There's no place like Stellenbosch.'

Friday 3 May
Travel back to Stellenbosch.

Friday morning we enjoyed our last nice full hot breakfast at the Ginnegap and packed into our tour bus one last time. On the bus ride to the airport, all I could think of was how I really would not miss that bus at all, and how I'd probably never really be in Johannesburg again (aside from the airport). When we arrived at the airport, it felt like a real airport, in contrast to Hoedspruit and Polokwane, but the security was still a breeze. I guess taking your shoes off and the liquids and gels thing is American?

In the airport, we had a long time to wait for our flight, so I was sitting with some friends and pulled out my laptop and we started browsing through pictures and videos and reminiscing on the past twelve days. What a whirlwind of traveling. We'd packed up our suitcases 8 times in just under 12 days. We were exhausted. A little tanner. And had new perspectives on the world. Had seen things we'll never see or experience again. Had gotten to know each other infinitely better than before. I can't speak for everyone, but those twelve days were life-changing and eye-opening. They felt like a blur, they felt like months. My favorite pictures of course were the Kruger ones, and I can't wait to go back there. I'm doing a research project there in June after my program in Stellenbosch ends and it's gonna be amazing!

We had to take a bus again to our plane, and when I looked at my ticket, I realized I was assigned to a seat in row 73! I've never been on a plane with so many seats before. It was insane! I boarded in the middle of the plane since there were two boarding zones. Just before take-off, I leaned my head out into the aisle and looked up at the front - I could barely see all the way up there. It was so long! I read the day's edition of The Star and saw two of my Northwestern friends' names in there for two articles. Go 'Cats!


When we were landing in Cape Town, I had a very bizarre sensation that I was returning home. Stellenbosch/Cape Town is our home base, and I guess I had internalized that. By no means is this place home-home to me, but it is an almost-home, and definitely a temporary home. It's kind of exciting and it made me feel proud and at peace with my decision to study abroad, sad that my trip was over but glad to be returning to normalcy and getting off the road for a bit anyway, and excited that this place has become enough of a home to me in the month I've been here.

April 3rd, I touched down in Africa, alone, a bit scared, a lot excited, having no idea where I was going or what I was getting myself into, and having been traveling for about 37 hours and having slept for fewer than 4 of them.

May 3rd, I touched down in Cape Town, surrounded by my 19 new friends and 2 professors, exhausted, happy to be back, wondering what I would do with my weekend - would I go to the Friday or Saturday market, would I do some reading and homework and blogging in my room or a friend's, would I go to Checkers or Food Lovers for groceries. Would I grab lunch at Neelsie or Lisa's? Would I hike Stellenbosch or Jonkershoek? I had a pretty decent sense of where I was going. I still don't fully know what I'm getting myself into, but it's been an incredible first month. And I'm excited to see what the remaining two have in store!