First few weeks:
My life at the University of Georgia thus far has been nothing short of a whirlwind. Firstly, let me begin my saying that so far this place has met every American stereotype possible. Think of college movies BUT EVEN BETTER. I was planning on it being one of those situations where it’s kind of similar but then not. Alas no, it’s full of red cups and screaming sorority girls everywhere. I love it!
Since my mom is American I came over early with my parents and sister to spend Christmas with my grandparents in Florida. The flight to the states is long, but I’m used to it because we come here almost every year to visit family. Right after the New Year my family and I drove up here to Athens, Georgia. It was really nice to have my family with me so that they could picture where I would be- plus it wasn’t as daunting since I didn’t know anyone else. I quickly settled in after orientation though. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and friendly and I felt instantly at ease. The other exchange students are fascinating people and it was great to share where we were from and find out about other cultures and countries.
Unfortunately the weather has been atrocious. When I have to wake up at 6.30am for class I have to convince myself to get out of bed-it’s excruciating but it usually gets better as the day progresses. Most of my days are quite long so when I get back to res I’m just about ready to flop right into bed. I’m still getting used to things here but I’m sure that as it becomes more familiar things will get easier. The campus is HUGE but so beautiful. It’s so different being in an environment where everything works on a level you’re not used to-UGA is in a completely different league to Stellies just in terms of technological advancement. I live in apartment style housing which is such a treat. I live with three other girls- we all have our own rooms and then we share two bathrooms, a kitchen and lounge. I eat at the dining hall most of the time and the food there deserves a post of its own.
The work so far has been okay. When I first arrived I asked “so what courses do people fail here?” and they were like “people don’t fail”. At first I thought that was absolute rubbish but now I’m beginning to believe it. The other day my German professor asked everyone to bring a can of coke to class and offered the entire class extra credit if one of us could down the coke faster than him. It was so bizarre but seems they make it virtually impossible for you to fail.
One of the main things I am thankful for is that the majority of South Africans know how to dress well- Americans on the other hand know how to dress badly. My sister and I literally want to have tantrums every single time we go out here because all these people wear are tracksuits -and on a college campus its even worse. Everyone looks like they are constantly going to the gym (they’re not) and quite frankly the Nike factory must be working overtime to accommodate the multitude of takkies that everyone wears. Apparently it’s normal to wear your takkies anywhere and everywhere even when you go out. Not sure why that’s okay.
Overall though, my first weeks here in Athens have been wonderful! I’m so happy I decided to embark on this journey and cannot wait to see what it has in store for me!
Halfway through:
I’m just over halfway through my American experience and to be honest I have no idea how I’m ever going to leave this place. I miss South Africa- somehow I wish I could bottle up all its people and wonderfulness and have them all here with me in Georgia. I miss my family and friends and stellies and sun and tastebud lunches and hearing afrikaans and ridiculous news stories (I just can’t get decent Oscar coverage!) I miss sitting on the bib steps and people who know me best. I MISS 50% PASS GRADES. None of this 70% nonsense.
Spring Break was two weeks ago and I went with five other internationals to Cancun, Mexico which was wonderful. Literally exactly how you imagine Spring Break to be. It was most definitely one of the best holidays I’ve ever had and everything about it was just perfect- the beaches, the people, the going out, the real actual sun that burned you (I left sunscreen off on purpose sometimes). No one spoke English so most of the time you just ending up mumbling to the man carrying your suitcase because you couldn’t remember what “thank you” was in Spanish. It was amazing and so worth it. While we were there we took a trip out to the Wonder of the World “Chichen Itza” which is an ancient Mayan Aztec village. We had lunch there prepared by native mayan people and toured the grounds where the various buildings and structures were explained by our tour guide. We were also able to swim in a beautiful “Cenote” which is a natural cave underground.
Other than that I have been on some other trips around the US. The international office arranged a trip for us where we went skiing. I travelled up to Nashville, Tennessee where we did all sorts of typical country things like go to a rodeo and eat pit barbecue. I also went up to New York to visit family.
This week the sun has been showing its sweet face- naturally this has left me with more commentary on American attire. Americans literally don’t know what to do with themselves in the sun. They’re like headless chickens running around not going to class and going out on a Monday because “the weather is nice and lectures are unnecessary”. We can’t help but laugh at them.
Georgia is really starting to feel like my new home, I just love it!
Back in Stellenbosch:
I can’t believe the most incredible months of my life have departed me and I have returned to normal life. Tomorrow I start classes back at Stellenbosch and for some bizarre reason I am terrified out of my wits. I have absolutely no idea why that is- I’ve gone here for two and a half years- I know where everything is, the people are familiar, there are no surprises per se but for some reason I feel like everything has changed. But maybe it’s not so much that this place has changed as it is that I have.
I am undoubtedly different I know that for sure. Living away from home for such a long time taught me things that I would never have discovered about myself had I stayed. I was stretched to my utmost, did things I could never dream of doing, became 10 million times more confident in who I am and developed the greatest desire to move and see the world constantly for the rest of my life. All I want to do is travel. I have been bitten so badly by the travel bug and now that I have dear friends all across the world all want is to hop on a plane and go see them. It honestly feels like I am being kept away from my family. It is crazy to think that people who I didn’t know a year ago have become some of my best friends and a place that I had never even been became a home.
I can’t put my finger on it but Athens Georgia did something truly unexplainable to me. It took a piece of me and kept it while giving me some weird UGA love back that I can’t seem to get out my system. I’m not going to let myself dwell in my post-Bulldawg blues though for the rest of the year (I would in all seriousness start to require some serious anti-depressants). Instead I’m going to enjoy my last semester as an undergrad asserting everything that sweet Georgia gave me in my life.
I honestly believe that everyone should do exchange at some point in their life if they have the opportunity to. It was the best decision I’ve made in my Stellenbosch career and if I could do it a million times over again I would in a heartbeat.