A semester in South Africa

Before deciding to study abroad, I never had any intention of ever visiting South Africa. Like many other people I had the stereotypical view that the entire country was dangerous and poverty stricken. Don't get me wrong there are definitely some places that are, but after my semester in South Africa I have come to learn that the country is a richly diverse nation whose beauty is unsurpassed.
My experience abroad was more than I could have ever hoped for. I met so many new people from all over the world. I was able to try so many new things including surfing, paragliding, going on a safari, and staying in a traditional iXhosa village. The AIFS staff was wonderful and always there to help in every way possible. In that semester I learned so much about the culture and history of the country, but I also learned a lot about myself.
I would never trade my time in South Africa for anything and I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking for an adventurous study abroad.