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High School
South Africa
Back to Johannesburg & Leaving South Africa
Day 30

We rose early, piled into a van, and headed back to Johannesburg. From here, we will fly home tomorrow. It took nearly 6 hours to get back to Jo’burg and I was surprised at how the down-time filled my head with stress about returning to America. Now that we were a day away from boarding a plane to head back home, my mind raced with all of the fears and responsibilities waiting for me. But once we arrived in Jozi, where we were met by Cromwell, all of my fears seemed to melt away. I not only greeted my old friend, but I was able to greet him in his native tongue, isiXhosa!  

For dinner, we met up with a couple of friends from our previous stay in Jozi; Peter (a teacher from the high school we had visited) and Galit (the woman who gave us a tour of Alex). Of course, Cromwell was there to celebrate the end of our journey. Everything was just right for our last night in South Africa! 

Day 31
Accompanied by some of our new friends, we headed to the airport. As I waited to board the plane, I was struck by a strange feeling: homesickness. Not for my home in the States, but for
South Africa. I think that 5 weeks anywhere is time enough to start to make a connection, and I now felt rooted to where I was. I felt like I was leaving a part of myself behind. For me, saying a tear-filled ‘good-bye’ to Cromwell was the hardest part.

The plane ride was bittersweet. While we made our way home, my thoughts were on all that we, as a team, had accomplished during our time abroad. I learned new languages, immersed myself in local customs, ate lots of home-grown foods, and made friends for life.

Suddenly, right before touching down in the Atlanta airport, I realized: I have the best job in the world, and that’s exploring the world. And with that thought, I was sad no longer. I was really happy to be home.

My time in South Africa is something I will cherish always. Ngiyabonga (thank you) for sharing it with me...

Until next time,