Six months in South Africa

I had the pleasure of living in South Africa for 6 months back in 2015. The experience was unlike any other. I was immersed into a culture that I fell deeply in love with. Over those 6 months I learned a lot about myself and I'm so deeply grateful for that. Obviously I have tons of stories that I wish I could share all of them, but that would require me writing a novel! One of the stories that sticks out the most to me was my second to last day in South Africa. I had the privilege of being invited to one of the families homes in Capricorn Township. I became incredibly close with a group of kids from school and was invited into their home. To be in their territory and see the way the live was so empowering. Every single day these kids show up with a huge smile on their face and are grateful for the new day they're given. That moment I realized how incredibly lucky I was for what I was given in life and stopped worrying about the petty things in life. Over those 6 months those kids taught me life lessons and impacted my life more than they know. Walking away from that trip was one of the hardest things I had to do. You don't expect to get attached to the kids and form amazing friendships along the way. I left South Africa a different person and I'm so grateful for the way this trip shaped me as a person. I am extremely fortunate to be returning to South Africa in January 2017 to be reunited with my kids and my second home.