So close, yet so far away: Real World South Africa

The potluck with my Cape Town study abroad group at my apartment last night was awesome. It was the first and last time all 20 of us will meet informally outside our once a week meetings this quarter w/ our prof at school, and words can't describe the amount of energy pouring out of everyone in excitement. As peeps were departing we'd say "See you in Africa!" and then get all excited again in optimistic disbelief. I'm getting excited typing this! Estrogen high too - 17 girls and 3 guys will be living in a house together 29 days from now in Cape Town for three months. It'll be like Real World:)

My current wishlist for this trip:

• Another swimsuit for the beaches we'll be visiting. And maybe some flip flops. Wish me luck since it's freakin' cold around here now. Mmmm 80 degree weather in January...
  
• Digital Canon Elph SD400
  
• Smugmug.com online photo album subscription
  
• Mini iPod dock with European converter
• Mosquito net for the bed. They love my blood when I travel.
  
• To go on one last snow trip in the beautiful mountains around here before I leave
  

Cape Town in itself is a really developed city, once colonized by the British and Dutch and supposedly one of the best places to party/club in the world (ppl in Versace glasses and white linen pants bust it out). Unfortunately, this presents a problem when right outside the city are poverty stricken townships that were segregated from racism in apartheid. Society still classifies people as White, Colored, or Black, but the country is positively developing slowly into something phenomenal. All of this will be presented to our group, and take on different community engagment projects to understand something one can never learn in a book. We'll have three day weekends for ourselves and have chances to go on excursions (700 ft. high bungee jumping, waterfall rapelling, swimming with penguins, wildlife ranges, exploring the nightlife around our town, etc.)

The humanitarian (help, engage, admire and understand the people and issues) and recreational (explore nature/culture/life and have adventures) sides of me will definitely be head to head while I'm there. Looking forward to so much.

Did I already say I was excited?