A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE IN CAPE TOWN

I have had the incredible opportunity to embark on a two-month exchange to Cape Town, South Africa. I cannot express how much this rare experience opened my eyes to the world while teaching me many crucial lifelong lessons along the way. At first, it was strange learning and living in a completely foreign country on the other side of the world, constantly being exposed to new people, foods, cultures, languages, and a completely different way of life with a new family. Now that I am home and back to my normal Australian life, I did not realise how much I was going to miss South Africa. If I could bring some of my favourite South African cultures and traditions back with me, I absolutely would.

One of the main things I admired was the South African spirit, particularly surrounding sport, whether school-based or nationwide. During my exchange, I was fortunate enough to attend a South African rugby match with cheerleaders, fireworks, organised chants, and even choreographed dances performed by the team, which became one of the highlights of my trip. I found that South Africans had a very spontaneous way of living, which made it the perfect place for an exchange because I was able to see and experience something new every single day. Whether it was going to school and then hiking up a mountain afterwards, being a last-minute fill-in for a cyclathon, joining 5:30 a.m. sunrise surf sessions, or taking part in birthday beach yoga, I was never bored or given time to feel homesick.

At the same time, I missed Australians and our culture, and I realised it was something I was very proud of. I often wished I could have brought all my new friends home to experience it. Reflecting on Australian culture and what I could share with South Africans was actually much harder than I expected, as both places were surprisingly similar despite being worlds apart. A couple of things I would share with South Africa would be our peace of mind and relaxed atmosphere. I noticed that almost every home had fences and complex security systems installed for reassurance, not necessarily because it was unsafe, and this was one of the biggest differences I noticed, especially compared to my home on King Island. I would also introduce them to AFL, as they already enjoy sports such as rugby, touch football, and soccer, and I feel many people would enjoy playing Aussie Rules as well.

Overall, I am incredibly grateful that I took this opportunity and created the treasured lifelong memories and connections that I did. There is a clear reason why so many people say an exchange experience changes them. I would highly recommend this amazing opportunity to anyone considering it.

Leila Bell
Year 10 Student