To Do List
In two months, I'll be back in the U.S. That means I have just UNDER two months to do all the amazing things here that I really want to do. In a way, I feel like I need to do SO many things. At the same time, though, I've done a lot of the things I really wanted to do.
I have been to the southernmost point of Africa and dipped my toes in the Indian Ocean. I went on safari and saw amazing animals in the wild. I saw whales and dolphins at Hermanus. I hiked to the top of Table Mountain, visited the District 6 Museum, and felt the power of Robben Island. I've witnessed the bearing of the South African soul each week at poetry readings and seen hope amidst desolation in working in the township of Philippi. I've even gone to 9 weeks of classes on African Religions, African History, and Ethical and Human Rights ideas, mostly from the perspective of South African professors.
Still, there are many things I still want to do. I want to visit the Two Oceans Aquarium and the Castle here in Cape Town. I want to take tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel. I need to visit the Irma Stern Museum, not because I'm familiar with Ms. Stern's artwork, but because I walk past it every day on my way to class and I have no excuse for not seeing it. I also hope to make one more big trip, since we have a monthlong finals period and I'll only be sitting through 9 hours of exams in that whole month. (That means if you have a suggestion for an inexpensive trip I should make during finals, I'd love to hear it!)
I think if I had to leave South Africa today, I would feel as if I'd had a complete experience. I would not regret the way I have spent my time. Still, there is so much yet to do! It's overwhelming to realize that no matter how long I stay here I'll never feel like I've seen everything. It makes me wonder what I'm missing at home, what opportunities and sights I'm missing in the places in the U.S. where I spend the most time. Do I make the most of every opportunity to expand my experiences in the U.S? Have I been to the museums and seen the natural highlights of the places I live and go to school? Or do I simply settle into the apathy of day-to-day existence and miss out on amazing things around me?
I have resolved to see and do it all. The world is SO amazing... even the things in our local surroundings! There are amazing and interesting things to do in the places we consider "ordinary", but we overlook them all the time! Obviously I can't live every day as a tourist or visitor, but perhaps I could try to see things in my everyday life in the States with the amazement, curiousity, and wonder of an outsider.
"It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might get swept off to..." J.R.R. Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring
I have been to the southernmost point of Africa and dipped my toes in the Indian Ocean. I went on safari and saw amazing animals in the wild. I saw whales and dolphins at Hermanus. I hiked to the top of Table Mountain, visited the District 6 Museum, and felt the power of Robben Island. I've witnessed the bearing of the South African soul each week at poetry readings and seen hope amidst desolation in working in the township of Philippi. I've even gone to 9 weeks of classes on African Religions, African History, and Ethical and Human Rights ideas, mostly from the perspective of South African professors.
Still, there are many things I still want to do. I want to visit the Two Oceans Aquarium and the Castle here in Cape Town. I want to take tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel. I need to visit the Irma Stern Museum, not because I'm familiar with Ms. Stern's artwork, but because I walk past it every day on my way to class and I have no excuse for not seeing it. I also hope to make one more big trip, since we have a monthlong finals period and I'll only be sitting through 9 hours of exams in that whole month. (That means if you have a suggestion for an inexpensive trip I should make during finals, I'd love to hear it!)
I think if I had to leave South Africa today, I would feel as if I'd had a complete experience. I would not regret the way I have spent my time. Still, there is so much yet to do! It's overwhelming to realize that no matter how long I stay here I'll never feel like I've seen everything. It makes me wonder what I'm missing at home, what opportunities and sights I'm missing in the places in the U.S. where I spend the most time. Do I make the most of every opportunity to expand my experiences in the U.S? Have I been to the museums and seen the natural highlights of the places I live and go to school? Or do I simply settle into the apathy of day-to-day existence and miss out on amazing things around me?
I have resolved to see and do it all. The world is SO amazing... even the things in our local surroundings! There are amazing and interesting things to do in the places we consider "ordinary", but we overlook them all the time! Obviously I can't live every day as a tourist or visitor, but perhaps I could try to see things in my everyday life in the States with the amazement, curiousity, and wonder of an outsider.
"It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might get swept off to..." J.R.R. Tolkein, The Fellowship of the Ring
posted by Lauren at
5:25 PM
2 Comments:
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Anonymous, at 8:29 AM
Lauren,
The things you have seen and done since you arrived are great. It is great it has given you a new way to look at things in the states when you get back. We all tend to take things for granted and not look for the amazing in what we consider the ordinary. It reminds me of the year I did a 40 Day Adventure prior to Easter. One of the things I did for those 40 days was look for something each that God had done around me. When we don't consciously look, we quite often miss what God is doing. It is the same with places around us and relationships with those that matter. It all takes conscious effort and time set aside to nurture and appreciate the things going on around us. I know the next 2 months will bring you many more exciting memories.
Wanda
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Anonymous, at 8:00 AM
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