Traveling to Cape Town was genuinely the most transformative experience of my life thus far. From exploring new environments to going on exhilarating adventures, nothing compares to the amazing community of people who welcomed us with open arms. Despite being in a foreign country, the VACorps staff, especially Kus and Kholi, made me and other interns feel at home, safe, and protected. VaCorps staff supported us from the very beginning when we arrived at the airport and on our first internship day to the very end. The weekly activities allowed me to see more of Cape Town and travel to spectacular places like Muizenburg, Hout Bay, wine farms, and more. I truly tested my limits countless times by trying new things like bungy jumping, surfing, climbing Table Mountain, and crawling through caves -- to name the least. Cape Town has the most beautiful natural wonders I'd ever seen and I felt so attuned to nature in a way that's quite indescribable. While it was great to travel to other parts of Cape Town, there was certainly beauty in our own backyard of Observatory as well. The lively community is filled with fun people to connect with, fashionable thrift stores, and delicious food, especially Ivy's Kitchen! I would advise not to pass Obs up because there are a lot of hidden treasures as long as you're open to finding them.

If I were to offer any piece of advice, I'd highly recommend seeing all of Cape Town. While you can limit yourself to Camps Bay, Constantia, the central business district, and all the fancy beach cities, that only tells half the story of a multifaceted city and country. Visiting the townships and building genuine connections with locals who are living a reality that is often ignored by "tourists" can broaden your perspective on life. My favorite memory in Cape Town was playing with the sweet kids from the Bathande Children's Reading Club in Khayelitsha created by Kholi. Beauty is everywhere in Cape Town and having the opportunity to become culturally immersed in this wonderful city and country is something I'll never forget.

In just two months, a place almost 10,000 miles away from home began to feel just like home.

My time in Cape Town with VACorps has been incredible. I've learned a lot through my internship and exploring South Africa over the last three months. I was placed in a law internship, working with an independent firm run by my internship boss. I've essentially functioned as a paralegal, working through child support, car seizure, and hijacking cases with his assistance. I've come away with a deeper understanding of the South African Constitution, and how it applies to societal functionings here. I've also had lots of time to hike, surf, visit beaches, and explore the city here in the Cape. I've met people and had experiences that I will never forget. I have made friendships that will last beyond my time here in Cape Town. I really cannot recommend this program and experience enough. I have gained so much perspective on life, people, law, and myself. I've grown to love South Africa and feel invested in the societal challenges and successes the country faces. I feel that I have grown a lot as a person throughout my time here and VACorps was a great facilitator of my experience.

This experience was priceless. I was able to learn so much from the people around me about myself, Cape Town, and South Africa as a whole. The VACorps staff were extremely friendly and helpful, and the other interns became my family while I enjoyed my time here. My internship was fun and educational and gave me a first glimpse into my possible future career pathways in environmental conservation. It was not at all what I expected but it was easy to enjoy and clearly impactful work. When I had questions about Cape Town, Kus and Kholi were always there to answer and guide me in my explorations of this beautiful place. There is so much to do around Cape Town and Obs is a welcoming place. Cape Town will forever be an experience that has shaped me and will remain in my heart. I have built confidence, new perspectives, new appreciation for this place, and so much joy on my last 3 months in South Africa.

My experience with the VACorps program genuinely has changed my life as to who I am. I adored every second of being here and learning about myself and the different cultures here. If I had the chance to come back I would in a heartbeat and I made several life-long friends during my stay.

My internship really helped me have job clarity because I was unsure if I was in the right major. However, once I had spent several days at my internship site, I was reassured that my job choice in the field of PT is great for me as I look ahead to the future.

I chose Cape Town as my internship location because of the immense beauty and rich culture present here! I have loved every second of the 5 weeks that I have spent in Cape Town, and I will forever cherish the amazing memories, friendships, and lessons that I have experienced. What I loved most about my time in Cape Town were the memories I made here both at my internship site and outside of it! At my medical internship site, I learned to keep an open mind and be very vocal and outgoing when speaking with the nurses, doctors, and staff. Outside of my internship site, I have gotten to learn about the culture of South Africa alongside the many friends that I made during my time here. The VACorps staff did an amazing job with organizing weekly activities and culture sessions that helped me to meet so many of the other VACorps interns! I am so grateful for my time in Cape Town and for the many experiences and friendships I have made along the way thanks to VACorps.

I heard about VACorps from my friends and wanted to go with them. I’ve always heard Cape Town is a beautiful place, and I wanted to learn how the medical world worked here. I loved meeting the people most. I loved shadowing doctors, too. I learned that I am capable of more than I thought I was before coming on this trip. I’ll never forget watching my first birth at the clinic. I loved the markets in Cape Town. I will miss the food, the views, and the people. I stayed for five weeks and I would advise others to do the same. It’s a perfect amount of time to be away and get what you need to get done. The staff and the activities were amazing. I’m most grateful for Kus and Kholi from the VACorps team.

Although my stay was only five weeks, this was the greatest experience of my life. I have never traveled before, so this was a huge change. First and foremost I learned that travelling might be my thing. I would love to come back. VACorps were amazing. I was treated as family from the second I walked in. I am very appreciative of the staff specifically. They were outstanding humans. I chose Cape Town because it was a go big or go home type of decision. I had never left the United States so I decided why not go somewhere crazy. My favorite part about the journey here was the culture shock. I learned so many new things that made me smarter and got rid of any ignorance or lack of knowledge I may have had about countries I have never been to. The people, specifically in Observatory, are amazing.

I choose to study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa to experience and learn about a new culture. Living in Cape Town for 4 months has been life-changing. I have left this program with more values and understanding than I ever thought I would. I recognize that I am blessed to have an amazing opportunity like this so if you have the chance to travel to Cape Town VAC is the way to go! I promise you won’t leave South Africa the same! (Also you are going to meet some amazing people & there is no way you will leave without a friend)