My Gap Year in Cape Town: The embodiment of work hard play hard

As I was planning my gap year, I was instantly drawn to VaCorps. The beauty of Cape Town and the opportunity to intern abroad with a group of students really interested me: there's something about living independently in a foreign city that is really hard to beat. My time in Cape Town definitely feels like the embodiment of "work hard, play hard": while we all had our own different internships and work commitments, the social aspect was definitely a huge part of why I loved my experience in Cape Town so much. I really feel like when you have a routine and have work responsibilities you're able to appreciate the city you're in much more: from sprinting to the beach after work to exploring new neighbourhoods and trying out new food markets we all really made the most out of our time in Cape Town.

I definitely learnt to be more adaptable here in Cape Town: I grew to enjoy the feeling of being out of my comfort zone and trying new things, as well as just accepting that many things in life are unpredictable. Additionally, I learnt to appreciate teamwork much more through my internship. We always worked on tasks as a team and I really valued that experience.

I love how much Cape Town has to offer: there's really nowhere else in the world in which you can go straight from a 3-hour hike to a relaxing afternoon on the beach. I'm also a huge fan of the food scene here: during my three months here in Cape Town, I've spent almost all of my Saturdays at the Old Biscuit Mill food market (it's INSANELY good).

I'm extremely grateful for the constant support VACorps provided. I knew that if I ever needed anything, even at the craziest hours of the night a VACorps staff member would pick up the phone and help out. You're really living the best of both worlds, living independently in a foreign city while having the certainty that if anything were to happen the VAC team would be there to support you.