Egoli, Xhosa for City of Gold, is an informal settlement in the Wester Cape. For the community development part of our class we spent about a week working with the people of Egoli to teach them about health and wellness.

Even with not a lot of resources we were able to make a little bit of a difference. On the first day we cleaned up a nearby field that is a recreational location for the children. Making a little game out of the clean-up process, we then segued into a discussion about safe play.

So after a couple of delays at various airports, I arrived back to the U.S. about a week ago. I was welcomed home by my family, which included a crying mother and grandfather, an excited sister with a poster, and a “seemingly” nonchalant father. I was happy to see my family waiting for me there. My mother always cries when I come home from a trip. To me that doesn’t make sense; shouldn’t it be the opposite? Anyways, a week has given me more than enough time to reflect on my time abroad.

It’s been one week since I watched France grow smaller beneath me out the airplane window and touch down in good ol’ Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’ve launched myself into these two weeks of freedom before going back to school, doing every summery thing I’ve missed while being away, so in all honesty, I haven’t really been reflecting all that much. I think part of the reason is a bit of culture shock.

I didn’t know it was possible, but this was an even more perfect Saturday. After waking up early we climbed Lion’s Head for a full moon sunrise hike. If Table Mountain was a hike, this was a climb. Truly scaling the side of the mountain it was a workout, but one of my best experiences in Cape Town.

For our class Healthcare and Community Development in South Africa, we spent one of our weeks working with the Health Promoters of the Western Cape of South Africa. With the motto “prevention through education,” the Health Promoters have a series of initiatives in the townships, places of employment, and schools of the Western Cape. Spending four days in the various offices and onsite locations, we helped develop the educational material and eventually presented our power-points to a few different groups.

Well, Brazil didn’t let me leave without one last adventure. I spent my last day in Rio visiting the botanical garden and hanging out on the beach, but when I arrived at the airport, I found out my flight home had been cancelled! It was a little chaotic rescheduling, but as always, the Brazilians were incredibly kind and patient. With their help and one 10 hour flight later, I was home!

“So how was Amsterdam?!”

During my entire stay in Japan, I always wanted to hike Mount Fuji. It wasn’t until the very last week of the IES Abroad program that I was finally able to do so, and with several other IES Abroad students as well! It was my first time hiking a mountain and I was really lucky to have experienced it with an incredible group of people. I highly recommend everyone to at least visit Mount Fuji during their time in Japan!