Everyone will tell you that exchange goes by quickly, and they are right. My time in South Africa went by faster than I could have imagined. Still, Bridge House and Cape Town have become second homes to me. I don’t even remember what it felt like before exchange, when these places were just dots on the map to me. I am so glad that I have gotten the chance to live in and become a part of these communities. I want to thank everyone and everything in Africa that welcomed me with open arms. Leaving is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, and I hope that I will return someday. I’ll miss the amazing mountains around Franschoek, the beautiful beaches in Hermanas, the city life in Cape Town, and the sunsets. Everywhere. My love for the landscapes of this country rivals my love for the people here, and that is saying a lot.
Sitting in the airport in London awaiting a flight transfer back home, I am struggling to accept that I have just said goodbye to some of the greatest friends I have ever had the pleasure of making.There is a certain magic to exchange relationships that is impossible to explain, I have heard many
others try and I have tried to find the words myself, but I don’t think I can do the feeling justice. I have so much love in my heart for everyone I met on exchange, and I am so grateful for everything they have taught me. It shocks me how our lives can be so different, yet undeniably similar. It reminds me that I am not alone–in anything. Although I may not always have my exchange, Mijs, attached to my hip anymore, I can feel that she and everyone else I met here will always somehow be with me. The hardest part of people leaving is that they take a little part of you with them. The best part is that you get to take a little bit of them.
The Athenian School Exchange Blog 