September 30

Woo so much to write about. We left our hostel to go to another town where we stayed in tents for two nights. we will be in tents for the remainder of the trip! We camped cooked food and bonded for the weekend. We went on a beautiful hike and saw and AWESOME waterfall on the way up. it was really ahrd and i thought i was going to pass out ha but it was wayyy worth it. We left that campsit, and moved on to knmisena. i just murdered that spelling. Here, we went to another township. This township was much smaller and we actually got to go off of the truck and interact with the villagers. First we went into a church service where we were welcomed immediately! I swear, every person at the service could sing so well it was amazing. T\hen we went to a soup kitchen wehere we served lunch to kids in the township whos families couldn't afford it. we go to bond with the kids and talk with them it was such an amazing experience ill never forget their faces. Afer that we went into a home in the ttownship and leanred to play drums and speak a little Xhosa from our guide! They played drums and sang to us and it was so pretty i started crying! They sung about how thankful they were to have god watching over them and how "the lord will save africa" it was life changing...in the lweast cheesy way possible. Its crazy to go into a place like that. In your eyes, these people have nothing, but iun their own eyes, they have so much. Its so inpiring to see such happiness in a place struck by povery in such an extreme way. Ill never forget working with those kids though i got so many awesome photos. We left that campsite, and we are now in Storms River! Yesterday we went zip lining it was AWESOME! i had so much fun we saw monkeys! Tomorrow, we leave on a 4 day backpacking trip which will be so unbeleivable. Then we make our way to Durban slowly! then Jo burg..t hen Zambia on the 11th and we raft the zambezee and stay on a houseboat!! but most of all when we leave south africa and go to zambia we t\strart to experience the most remote plces in africa. I won't have internet as much but ill update as much as possible until then, miss and loveeeee everyone!

September 21

Wow so much to write about so little time! (internet is soo expensive)

For the passed week i lived with a family in Kenzington, South Africa. (about 5 mins from Cape town) The fmaily consisted of the mother, Berryl, the father, Gary, and the daughter, Ashleigh (not very african names, i know :) ) This was a GREAT experience. I got to knw these people so well over only 5 days. They welcomed me into their home with open arms and were so supportive of me. It felt really good to be with a family that somewhat felt like my own for a while, it was comforting. Ashleigh is my age is and she is awesome. I hung out with her and her friends a lot over the week and that was so cool to be able to experience their culture first hand. We are experiencing culter with TTS, but its hard to feel fully im,mersed in the cultre when traveling with a group of 18 americans thta are OBVIOUSLY tourists. People treat you differently which is expected, but it was nice to be able to just experience everything as a local would. WE went ice  skating and watched movies, and just talked. Talking is something that is so beneficial. People here are so open with talkinmg about their personal experiences and its so cool to hear about it. At times, its had to be;lieve the US and Africa are even in the same WORLD they're so different. After my homestay, a safar itruck (that we will be living in for the next 3 months) picked us up, and off to Hermanus South AFrica we went! The 3 hour bus ride went by so fast and we're now staying at a hostel. Its our 3rd day here and we plan to leave tomorrow and stay at a campsite about 5 hours outside of Hermanus. Today, we went Sea Kayacking (sp?) \and got to kayack alongside WHALES! it was beautiful...until i got SOOO sea sick. The waves were intense. Once i got back to shore i couldn't help but throw up everywhre as the guide practically held my hairback...and said, as all southafricans dp, it seems..."oh, shaaaammee!!" I've learned a lot of Afrikaans and continue to learn Shona, the language of our driver and cook. Our drivers name is Ngwena and cooks name is Mnvu. I continue to establish priceless relationships with the girls on the trip and am so excited to continue on! School is hard but so interesting considering we learn about africa in mos classes! I miss everyone and can't wait to see people! It'll be so weird coming home fom 100 degreee weather in Mozambique (sp?) To Snowy, Denver Colorado! BUT i discovered th 15th is a wednesday so i can go to pasta night!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY! i've missed pasta sooo much. LOVE AND MISS EVERYONE

leavnig the hostel

Today, we finally are leaving our hostel in Stellenbosh, South Africa! We have been here for two weeks, but it feels like a lot longer. I am excited to get moving and see more remote  parts of Africa, I feel a little sheltered here in Stellenbosh. We've already experienced so much i can't even imagine how much more we're going to learn and experience once we leave! This afternoon, after a full day of classes we are off to stay with a host family in Cape Town. We live with this family for a week, with another classmate from the Traveling School. We're going to go to class thursday and Friady, but Saturday and Sunday we just spend time with our famlies which will be so cool! Friday we get to go to our first market! I am so excited to see all of the diferent items that will be there (and buy some :) ) After our homestay, we get onto our truck! We pretty much live out of this truck for the rest of the trip! We have plans to go backpacking, for around ficve days which i am really pumped up for. Im most excited for mid october when we get to raft down the Zambize (spelling?) And learn to scuba dive and surf later on. This trip has so much more to offer, and its already flying by. So much to do, so little time. I love the other girls on this trip and get closer to them every day, they are people ill never forget!

September 13, 2010

Africa has been an emotional roller coaster. being away from home has been harder than i expected. I miss everyone so much. And hot showers :( The things Im seeing here are unlike anything i ever expected to see in my lifetime. We have visited townships, where people are living off of so little. We have gone to museams where we have learned about the aparthied, which i wasn't educated about at all. This is a triup i will remember for different reasons than a typical vacation. I won't remember tanning on the beach and drinking diet pepsis...ill remember the face of the 16 year old boy i met, with fetal alcoholl syndrome, and HIV. I won't remember sleeping in and spening time with family, I'll remember waking up at 6 am to run, hike, or mountian bike, and the relationship i am building with all of the girls here. This is a challenge for me, phyiscally and mentally, but at the end of the day i know that this is the place i am supposed to be, and that i want to be. I am working on being present here mentally 100%, but so is everyone else. We are al facing the same challenges and its nice to be able to talk wit the other girls here, its really comforting. I miss my mom telling me the things i need to get done when i am home, i've realized how forgetful i am without her here with me. I miss my dad giving me words of wisdom and adivice, words that  I will carry with me my entire life, and pass on to my own family. I miss spending time with my sisters, wether it be laughing with them, yelling at them, or just sitting at the dinner table with them. I never realized how lucky i am until i got here. I have the most amazing family, immediate and extended, in the entire world. I live in a place where education is completely encouraged and accessable. I live in a place where disease and poverty aren't surrounding me all the time. My family can provide food, shelter, and love for me. And that is more than enough. I can't wait to see them again, but also to continue on this journey, where I'm learning so much about myself, and the world around me. I am blessed.