Hmmmm, now why in the world would I be talking about Bike & Build…I’m in Cape Town, South Africa for goodness sakes!!! Well, you see, Bike&Build has been on my mind a bit lately. 1. Two of my best friends Summer and Kelly have just begun their B&B SUS’11 trip led by my dear friend Will, accompanied by many other friends of CUS’10. Which leads me to…2. Today is the one year anniversary for the start of my Bike & Build trip Central United States last year. The most life changing, amazing, incredible, fulfilling and joy-filled ten weeks of my life.
So naturally instead of the 3 papers, 2 presentations and 1 exam I should be working on, I’ve been looking at old B&B pictures, watching videos of CUS’10 running into the Pacific Ocean, chatting with my B&B family etc etc.
Also, today I finally realized what my mom, Summer, Kelly, Aunt Dianne and anyone else who avidly stalked my trip last year, went through! WOW, this takes a lot of time! I’ve just spend the last 3 hours reading rider bios and blogs, and they are only at their orientation! I am so very thankful they are on the same trip, otherwise I wouldn’t have any time to sleep!! They joy I’m experiencing, just knowing that my two closest friends from CMU are about to have the most impactful and astounding summer of their lives, is overwhelming.
What is also overwhelming is the jealousy and B&B blues I’m experiencing. In all my time here in Cape Town, I’ve experienced zero homesickness, or friendsickness or wished I were anywhere else until now. With my whole being I wish I could be there in Jacksonville, FL to send Kelly and Summer off on their journey as they sent me, one year ago. I wish I could bike with them and build with them and experience the Southern states of America with them; but I CAN send them encouragement and support and love. I absolutely cannot wait to share this experience with them via bnb stalking (I’m attempting to be even better at it than Kelly-wish me luck!) AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I’M SO EXCITED FOR THEM I CAN’T CONTAIN IT!!!!! Please follow their journey too their blogs are: Kelly and Summer
*sigh* ah Bike & Build.
OK! You probably want to hear about Cape Town also, hey? It’s still wonderful. It doesn’t stop being wonderful. I’m getting more and more attached to my children at the TB hospital, and seeing more and more things that I want to do! But alas, I have only three weeks remaining!
We have lots and lots of work to do for our classes, as mentioned above. But I’m not really stressing too much, I know everything will get done, and quite honestly, my volunteering is more important. And experiencing as much as possible before I have to leave this beautiful country. I only have three weeks left and intend to live them to the fullest!!
Recent fun things: We had a reflection weekend were our service learning program went to a game reserve on the west coast. Together we reflecting on the semester’s experiences, what we have learned and bonded even more as a group. It was incredibly beautiful. The sunsets, the stars, the animals, the people, the music, the dancing, the conversations. Everything. On our game drive we saw giraffes!! I love giraffes. And springbok are everywhere. Did you know the springbok is UCT’s mascot??
The following weekend I met up with the Tour d’ Afrique, a group of cyclists who have biked here to Cape Town, South Africa, from Cairo, Egypt!!! Megan O’Brien, a Bike & Builder, was on the trip so I of course met up with her to bike the last 35K of their journey down Africa. It was cool, seeing the riders from all over the world, and also all the Capetonians who came out to bike with them as well. SO many cyclists. The finish line was at Cape Town Stadium (Green Point Stadium-World Cup), and from there they had a ceremony and speeches. I hung out with Megan’s parents and later we went to the VIP tent, but were too late for the food. At night I joined them all and the TdA riders for their Celebration dinner at a hotel on the V&A Waterfront. Later at night I rejoined some of my service learning family downtown on Long St.
This feels like home. I have a routine, I know how to get around, go grocery shopping, have my favorite hangout places, people. I’m comfortable here and could definitely picture myself here for a longer period of time
