Feeling at Home

I'd call this paradise

I got home sick for the first time since Cub Scout camp. It didn’t last long though, and here is why. Today started off early. I woke up at 6:30 and hung out for awhile, figured out how to use our stove (more complicated than you’d think) and ate breakfast sitting with my feet in the pool. Then, the group set out on the day’s adventures, starting with a quick stop at a beautiful rocky beach. The water was perfect, the waves were crashing, and the weather was warm. Immediately I ran to the rocks, took off my flip flops, and started scrambling all over the place, feeling completely in my element. After a few minutes of this I froze. I wasn’t in Cape Town any more, I was in Maine. I have grown up running along the rocky coast; hell, my only broken bone came from it, and this felt just like that. After walking through the icy water, all I could do was smile. I finally felt at home. I honestly could have done this all day, but we had to move on to the next stop – Hout Bay. There, a seal took a piece of fish from my hand, and I go to start bartering with people for crafts. I ate Fish and Chips for lunch (I’m trying really hard to try new foods, and I’d love to come back liking fish!), and finally stopped at Boulders Beach, the much anticipated penguin colony. The first stop was cool, we could see the penguins and watch them hang out on the beach, but you couldn’t go down onto it. Heading over to the other beach I was like a little kid filled with excitement who just couldn’t keep himself contained. The water was beautiful, and decently warm, so the hunt for penguins began. We found them hiding among the rocks, and for awhile simply hung out with them. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and incredibly relaxing. I finished the day writing this out from my deck, watching the sunset over the mountains. 

Cape Town, or Popham Beach?

Not surprisingly, Cape Town is quickly finding a place in my heart. I’m feeling more comfortable and quickly adapting. Given how beautiful it is, it wasn’t very hard. Being a tourist is really fun, I love seeing the sights of this beautiful country, but I can’t wait until the tour bus goes away and real life here starts. For while these are experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything, the reason I’m here is to do some work in the community.