I can't believe I'm back in Germany. The last six months have literally flown by. I can still remember the day I arrived in Cape Town and my first impressions (I've also written a blogpost about that). After having spent six months in Cape Town I still love the city as much as I did when I arrived - only that it feels different to me, less than a new place I wanted to discover but more like a home. The last six months were probably one of the best of my life and I already know that I'm gonna miss Cape Town a lot, especially my Capetonian family and friends! I got to know loads of amazing people and made a lot of experiences I wouldn't trade for anything in the world - from my trip to Cape Point, a concert in Kirstenbosch and a relaxed day in Somerset West to my trip to Kruger National Park. Six months is quite a long time and if you spend them in a foreign country it is very likely that this period of time will change your life. It has certainly changed mine. Especially working as a volunteer has changed my outlook on life - it really puts things into perspective and makes you realise what is truly important in life. The difference between these kids was quite shocking. Some of them were relatively well off, had caring parents, a house to sleep in and they always brought a lot of snacks with them to school. Then there were some kids whose parents didn't change their clothes, never gave them bread to bring as a snack to school, never watched their kids when they were playing outside their shack.
There are so many things in life we just take for granted. The love from our parents, having a full meal three times a day, living in a house in a safe environment. Seeing that not everybody has these privileges makes you realise how grateful you should be for the good in your life.
I'm definitely gonna miss the children from the children centre a lot, it was such a pleasure to see them grow up and it was a really heartwarming experience to cuddle with them! But there are a lot more things I'm gonna miss about Cape Town - from the laid back attitude of the people living there to walking down the promenade at Sea Point or having a crêpe in one of the cafés in Kalk Bay, which is probably one of my favourite places near Cape Town. I'm gonna write another post about my favourite things to do in Cape Town, just in case you're interested. :)
Anyway, I'm really grateful that I had the opportunity to spend half a year in Cape Town and I can highly recommend visiting South Africa, it's a beautiful country that will inspire you in many ways. You can leave Africa, but Africa will never leave you.
Have you ever been to South Africa? Leave a comment. x
