"When I think back on my study abroad experience, I remember the genuine, unfettered happiness I felt, the friends I made, the food I ate, and the adventures I went on."
When I reflect upon my time studying abroad on the CIEE South Africa: Arts and Sciences in Cape Town program, a few pictures and thoughts come to mind.
View of Camps Bay and the mountain in the back, called Lionshead
The first is the beauty of the environment and nature. The first picture was taken at the beach in Camps Bay, and the mountain in the back is called Lionshead. I remember going to that beach the first night I arrived in South Africa with people I just met- there was a mixture of people from the CIEE South Africa program and South Africans who were freshmen at the University of Cape Town (UCT). I remember being on that beach and watching the sunset. I was already so happy and at peace with my decision to come to a country I had not heard much about or known much of a couple of months before. Being back on the beach and around nature, especially after growing up in San Clemente in southern California, was revitalizing to me. Everything was right.
CIEE South Africa program because of the fact that I wanted an English-speaking program and I wanted to immerse myself in the local culture to build a life abroad. I was searching for something out of the box, and Capetown kind of fell in my lap, especially after talking to someone who had done another CIEE program before COVID-19, I was convinced I needed to go and that I would have a good time.
Another aspect of my time abroad was the food in Capetown. Even in New York City, I love going out to different restaurants or trying new recipes in my suite, and in South Africa, it was no different. Being in a place that had such an amalgamation of cultures coming together, like the Cape Malays, Afrikaaners, and indigenous South Africans, allowed for many tasty adventures. Pictured is some chakalaka with pap and chicken that we got at a food stand in Maboneng in Joburg.
Delicious chakalaka with pap and chicken
Lastly, the people made up a huge part of why I fondly remember my study abroad experience. I met lifelong friends through CIEE South Africa and at UCT. I will forever remember the adventures we had together and the exciting feeling of meeting so many new people, all while trying to create a little life for myself in a country 7,000 miles from home.
The University of Cape Town campus from the east of the Upper Campus at Groote Schuur on the slopes of Devil's Peak
As for the academic aspect of the study abroad, I was pleasantly surprised as I am currently applying some of the readings from UCT to my classes here at Columbia. The African perspective on political science and women and gender studies that I was exposed to at UCT was very enlightening to me and made me a more well-rounded Political Science major. Since it was my first time learning and living in a non-western country, I learned a lot about African culture and its approach to feminism, women’s rights, and politics. I was also able to view the West’s approach to these topics through their eyes, and that was a truly unique perspective I would not be able to get at Columbia.
Further, I learned how to play the djembe drums and the amarinda (a type of xylophone), and for those who know me, I am not very musically oriented, so that was definitely out of my comfort zone! Pictured are the steps at UCT; they reminded me greatly of Low Beach and quickly became one of my favorite spots on campus.
When I think back on my study abroad experience, I remember the genuine, unfettered happiness I felt, the friends I made, the food I ate, and the adventures I went on. Capetown, I will be back someday!
