There are a couple of things I can be religiously counted on doing when I am not working on our weekly assignments or editing. One, I will get on TikTok (Char can attest to this one). Two, I will write some of my jumbled thoughts down in a journal. Three, I will look through my Snapchat flashbacks from past years.
3 years ago today, my oldest nephew had his 6th birthday party; 4 years ago today, my best friend had her 16th birthday party; and 5 years ago today, my family from Mexico drove up to Texas for my same nephew’s 4th birthday party.
July 7th is a great day for birthday parties apparently.
I saw another Snapchat flashback of my 2019 school-sponsored trip to Disney World a couple of weeks ago. It really got me thinking. Most people can probably pinpoint events in their lives that completely changed their trajectories. My HOSA competition trip to Disney was one of mine. Three years and a much longer flight later, this trip to South Africa has become one of them too.
I don’t have the words to describe how much I have learned about myself this past month, nor do I have the time. What I do have, however, are pictures and videos that I have saved throughout this journey. I won’t lie, most of these will be random. But they are what will pop up in my Snapchat and camera roll flashbacks next year; they are what I will tie every single joke, every single laugh, every single adventure I have experienced here to.
A mini love letter to Rivonia Premier Lodge,
When I first arrived, I didn’t expect to fall so deeply in love with you. You greeted me in the night with outlets that did not fit mine, but what I fell in love with was your mornings, how the sunlight would bounce off you and the leaves of the trees near your balcony in room 27. I fell in love with your imperfections, your frequent load shedding, cable thefts, and shitty Wi-Fi because you had something better to offer: the business center. I’m only joking! No, the true treasure you offered were the people that keep you alive. Fillitah, Trust, Cindy, and the rest of the staff, you have been the true gems of YSS: South Africa!
Until we meet again….
P.S. Keep Evie safe for me!
Mochachos (I did not expect to find a Tex-Mex style restaurant in South Africa), Nandos, Spur Steak Ranches, 3X Spicy Nodles, Braii (did someone say ostrich and kudu??), Pap, Stoneys, Bunny Chow…the list of food goes on!
Was it cave disease? No, it was just COVID. Was it really daytime? No, it was just monte casino. Was that an animal? No, it was just Julian putting giraffe poop in his mouth. Was it a good shower? No, there were 3 rhinos outside of our tent. Was it unexpected to see La Virgen de Guadalupe in the Regina Mundi church? Well, yes, yes it was.
