Missing Cape Town

It is difficult to convey my final reflections on two life-changing weeks in Cape Town in just a short blog post. After over 22 hours of flying the past two days, I am back home, and our group is active on Snapchat and GroupMe, reflecting on our experiences and sending inside jokes because we all miss each other. Our last day in Cape Town highlighted the sense of community that developed throughout the trip. After presenting the projects we had developed in our groups, our professor Melanie announced that it was time for “graduation.” I immediately pictured each of our names being called and the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance” walking march song being played.

However, the graduation ceremony that ensued was different. Melanie handed every student an envelope with another student’s name on it and explained that we would be graduating each other. In other words, we had five minutes to write a letter to the person whose envelope we received, and then it was time to stand in front of the class and call up that person. It was a beautiful process, as we shared stories and moments of realization with each other that had occurred in the past two weeks. As we shed tears, laughed together, and displayed our pride for one another, I saw in front of my eyes how we had transitioned from strangers to friends to family within two weeks. I am so thankful for the friendships that have blossomed through this trip, and the fact that we can continue to share experiences together at UMD.

The graduation process.

Another picture of the graduation process.

Group photo at Cape of Good Hope.

Group photo in the building where we had class.

Group photo on the UCT campus.