My study abroad experience has been the most amazing experience of my life. I cannot believe that almost 5 months has passed and I'm already back home. It seems like I just left a few weeks ago, but when I look back at everything I got to see and do I feel like it was an entire chapter of my life. It is wonderful to be home and see all my friends and family, but I miss everything about Africa. As much as I hated on the food, I miss papatas! I miss taking combis to the Station, Main mall, and S.O.S. Orphanage. I miss going on adventures to cities outside of Gabs and Countries outside of Botswana: South Africa, Mozambique, and my favorite.. Zimbabwe! I miss having the chance to do crazy things I will never do again.. bungee jumping at Victoria Falls off of the highest bridge in the world, night swims in the jellyfish infested waters of the beautiful Indian ocean in Ponta de Ouro, and climbing the -way harder than it looks- Table Mountain in Cape Town. I miss the feeling of being somewhere new and exciting and different full of different people, culture, foods, and environment. I miss the children at Tshwaragano Primary School in Old Naledi and at S.O.S. Orphanage. I miss hearing Liquideep and all the other fun house music beats at Bull and Bush, and dancing like crazy! During my African adventure I saw animals galore, traveled everywhere possible, bartered with street crafters, experienced a mediocre at best education system, met amazing people with fascinating stories, and I even fell in love. I miss Africa and everything it has to offer. And that is why this is not the end to my African adventure. A few years down the road I hope to return and explore more, meet more people, do more things, learn more, and grow even more than I already have from this trip. I thank God for this opportunity and for blessing me with people in my life that helped get me there like my Mom, my Aunt Amy and Uncle Rich, and all my other family, my church family at Townsend Congregational Church, and the people that enabled me to receive study abroad scholarship money from the University of Hartford. I also thank God for all of those people I met during my adventure that impacted me, especially my boyfriend, Fungai who still makes me smile everyday even when we live on opposite sides of the world. God has truly blessed me with unforgettable people and amazing opportunities and experiences that I do not take for granted. Africa, I'll see you soon.
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