Hello Beautiful :)

I cannot begin to paint a picture of the beauty of this country. The landscape, the people, the environment.

 Here are some places we have visited:

Boulders Penguin Colony: Located on the beautiful coastline live our small tuxedo friends. It was intriguing to watch the penguins interact with each other as well of the crowd of people observing them. They were careless and taking life as it came. I wish I could unconsciously do this. Life each moment in the moment and life with the land instead of on it and appreciate it for it vital resources instead of take advantage of it. It is one struggle that I am working on.

Cape Point: the southernmost tip of the continent of Africa. An adventure up the mountain further advanced my appreciation the beauty of this country. During this journey we encountered a variety of wildlife including baboons, rock-side rabbits, and deer-like animals. We hiked around the mountain to see two different lighthouses from the 1800s.

Hout Bay: a classic example of a “tale of two cities.” It is a continuation of the beauty that we had seen all day and gave us a view of the extreme wealth and just blocks away the extreme poverty. It was the first time that we were able to go on a beach and feel the ice cold water.

It was nice to take the time to soak in the scenery. To appreciate it for its honest beauty and to wonder how a place like this came to be. I caught myself thinking back to the lecture that Alan gave us about the history of the indigenous people and how colonization came about. It was all about this precious land. This beautiful land. How fighting, arguments, and war could result from such a calm place astounds me.

Guest Speaker: Allison Alexander from Rainbow House

Rainbow House is a sort of shelter for abused and neglect children. These children who live in the townships are exposed to so many things that they should not see. They do not receive the attention and love that they should be. Children come to this house and receive those things that are lacking as well as additional counseling. This place is different from governmental institutions because it is a safe place for children to cope with their disgusting life events, pursue education, sports, and interests. It is different because they place these children in homes outside of townships to try and break the assumptions that they need to return to a poor legacy.

The discussion of children in need really provoked a lot of feeling for me. Children and their well-being are a huge passion of mine, so hearing some of the stories that these children go through broke me. I tried hard to hold back the tears that were accumulating. However, after reflecting on this, I asked myself why I did this. Could I not be vulnerable around community members and my group members? Why did I feel like I needed to compose myself? This discussion really reinforced this passion and added to my excitement for my profession in pediatric nursing.

Questions I am beginning to ponder:

                Will I let myself become vulnerable around my peers and community members in the township?

                How will I use the group dynamic for good and not evil?

                How do I feel about the experiences and what emotions am I running through?

                What are my challenges and what are my celebrations?

                What am I taking away from this experience?