A year of saying yes!

As the longest chapter of my gap year comes to an end, it's time to reflect on the lessons I've learnt over the last 3 months, with 16 new siblings.   

At Machu Picchu 

I've learnt to say yes, whether it be to singing on the bus at the top of our lungs or dancing on an aeroplane, where noone else can hear the music we're listening to. A quote comes to mind: "Those who were seen dancing were thought to be crazy by those who couldn't hear the music." I definitely think I've got a little crazy in me now!

I'm convinced that I've faced my fear of heights after rappelling down a 150ft waterfall and ziplining across valleys in Costa Rica. Glass elevators seem like child's play after that! 

I've learnt not to take life so seriously and to go for the more adventurous options - like crossing a stream on one wobbly plank instead of finding a safer route, or trying strange foods like guinea pig and alpaca.

An adventure? Alpaca my bags!

I've learnt to go with the flow - this is a hard one for me as I like to be in control, but when you don't know where you'll be in 5 days time or how you're getting there, it's hard to be. 

                                       

I've learnt to sleep with the noise of 12 adopted sisters in bunk beds (a very useful skill to have), and learnt to do so whenever I have the opportunity, because you never know when you may need to get up at 3am to hike Machu Picchu or catch a boat to the Amazon. This lesson was challenging for me too. I remember struggling so much with sleep in the first 2 weeks, because of the jetlag. Back then, I couldn't even fall asleep with the lights on!

Sunrise on the Amazon

I feel like I've come a long way since my first few days in the Dominican Republic, and even though I'm sad to leave Peru, I'm excited to go home and start 2016 with a bang, and saying yes to more things.

Sunset over the dunes in Huacachina, Peru

Trading in my Purple Carry-on

So, today I traded in my purple pull-along for a pair of purple sneakers, and my matte red lipstick is tucked away in my backpack. I won't be having much use for them where I'm going.

I am about to embark on a three-month-long adventure to Central and South America (Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Peru), where I will be teaching English in schools, learning about sustainable farming, how to surf, and building toilets - to name a few of the many activities.

Thailand 2010

If you've read my previous blog, Saving the World Two Tanks at a Time, you'll know that I spent a month in the north of Thailand, when I was 17 years old, mixing concrete and building water storage tanks... generally roughing it. Well, after reading this programme itinerary, I think this trip is going to be like Thailand on steroids! 

I am doing this trip through, Rustic Pathways, an organisation which specialises in gap year programmes. You choose the countries you want to go to and the type of activities you want to do there, and they do the rest. My programme is aimed at young people who are interested in community service and Spanish immersion. I am excited and looking forward to getting fit, strong, tanned, useful... and, of course, dirty! I also hope to come back home speaking Spanish like a native.

The Rustic Pathways Starter-Kit

Hasta pronto! 

Just Google it!

Beijing skyline

The next chapter of my journey as “Girl on a Gap” begins tomorrow in China! Although I feel as if my time at home was far too short, I am excited to explore a country that I’ve never visited before. I will be one of 28 students (from 14 nations!) on a programme about Chinese business and culture. We will visit five cities, see the main attractions (from the Great Wall in Beijing to a Panda Bear Research Facility in Chengdu), have morning lectures and be totally immersed in everything Chinese. 

I had to do a pre-departure assignment and although it took quite a bit of time, I saw the value in doing it, as I started thinking about China (its population, history, economy etc.) and comparing it to South Africa. I am most interested to learn about Chinese politics and how a communist regime has sustained itself while becoming the fastest growing economy in the world.  

Our conference call last week brought some shocking news… Google is banned in China and quite possibly Facebook too. “A whole month without Facebook?!”  I told my mom in despair. “You’ll be fine, dahling” was her unsympathetic reply.

Photo: RealcomBiz

Okay, maybe I can manage without Facebook for a month, but Google? That’s a little hard to imagine. We live in a world where information is accessible at the touch of a button and people constantly say “Just Google it”. Want to know the weather of the five cities I’m visiting? Just Google it. Want to know what plugs they use in China? Just Google it. Want to know the exchange rate? That’s right, just Google it!

We are the Google generation. We pick up our smart phones when we’re out at a restaurant and Google what we don’t know… that actress’ name we can’t remember, the score of a game we’re missing… Which is why, unfortunately, it is no surprise that there are so many articles about smart phones and stupid people.

Funnily enough, when I visited India in 2012, on a similar programme, I found out that there is even a Google God! In Thailand I discovered that there were Buddhas for every day of the week, as well as sitting, standing and reclining Buddhas. Maybe I’ll find one here to intercede on my behalf…

Giant Leshan Buddha, China

Well, zàijiàn (goodbye), my readers, I’m not sure if you’ll hear from me soon, because if you want to read my blog you’ll have to GOOGLE IT! If you’re reading this, I sent a secret email out of the country and someone posted it on my behalf...I'm not joking.

So, why am I here?

Not why am I on this earth (that’s an existential question and post for another day), but why am I in the beautiful city of Prague? 

Beautiful, right?

New Beginnings and a New Me

Equipped with a confident new voice and bright red lipstick, I've set off to see the world. Well, 5 of the world’s countries that I've never been to before.

I really like this map. It's like the one I look up and see every time I'm in my dentist's chair. 

In December I graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT) with a Bachelor of Social Science degree. My time there certainly wasn't all smooth sailing, but it was exciting to be a university student.

This year, I felt like I needed a break from studying to “get my life in order” before I took on another degree. So, with one degree under my belt, I thought, “here’s my chance!” To be completely honest, I didn't know what I wanted to do or study this year (if I did decide to carry on studying).  

In South Africa, it is more common for people to take their gap years straight after high school, but when I left high school, I didn't feel that I was ready to go off into the big wide world on my own. I wanted to go to UCT, and I was determined to get in. It was the only university I applied to. My parents went there and I wanted to go there.

So, there I was, my 22^nd birthday was around the corner and it was pretty much a now or never kind of situation. However, it wasn't as easy as it sounds to decide on a gap year. All of my closest friends decided to carry on studying, including my boyfriend. So, questions like “Am I making the right decision?”, “What is the right decision?”, “Shouldn't I just carry on studying and get it done all in one go?”, “Won’t I be lonely?”, and “Can I leave behind my family, my boyfriend and my friends?” all filled my mind. But also, “When will you ever get this opportunity to travel the world again?” In the cycle of life, it’s school, degree, work, marriage, family… maybe go on a few holidays in between, but no travelling the world for a whole year, by yourself, to find yourself.

Anyway, back to the present. This is no ordinary gap year! You won’t find me waitressing in some pub in England or travelling aimlessly around South America or sitting on the couch at home getting fat. In total, I will visit 5 countries that I've never been to before (and I've travelled a lot!) and in each, I will be doing something totally unique. First stop = Prague.