The End

For the last week I have been on 'holiday' in Cape Town, SA. What a beautiful place! I love the ocean; I love the city; I could live here.... ok maybe in a couple years when they get the public transit system working well! Emily and I tried our hardest to fit everything there was to do in Cape Town into the week we had there, and I say we did really well.

We went to several bays and markets, explored the Waterfront, ate a ton of seafood, went to a Carnival/parade, took a bus tour of the city, had a beach day including dinner on the beach and watching the sunset over the water!, went to a concert in the botanical gardens, climbed Table Mountain (and I mean climbed it was basically tall stairs(rocks) up the side of a mountain), went on a wine tour, went on a bike/van peninsula tour, went to a concert (complete with a booing of the mayor), climbed Lions head, and finally went out on the town our last night in the city. We packed all of this in only a week with only minor battle wounds (the wind pushed me off of a bike and Emily broke a sign at Cape Point)! We saw so much and had so much fun. All in all we met a lot of friends and found Cape Town a great place for vacation!

I already miss the friends that I met in Jo'burg and I haven't even made it home yet. I miss the day to day that I had gotten used to there. I'd like to say that I am glad to be back home, but I find myself dreading starting a new clinical in a place that I don't know; hoping that I know all of the answers and what to do. It was hard sometimes, it wasn't ideal, and it was certainly not in the comfort zone, but once I got used to it, I could see the difference Physio made and it became normal and exciting. I will miss it, but I'm sure I will find an exciting place to work as well.

Although Jo'burg (and Cape Town definitely) are not the 'norm' of Africa, one is able to see the lack of resources and the way the government/health care plays a role in the lives each citizen in SA. It was a very interesting, growing experience. I recommend getting out of the comfort zone and see what else happens in the world to everyone. You get to learn so much. I went to South Africa thinking that I would show someone something new or at least we would share information and teach each other, but in the end I feel like I was the one who was taught everything and I really didn't have much to share with anyone. I learned so much while I was there. It was an incredible experience, and I'm sad to be done with it.