When at the top of Table Mountain the view is spectacular! With the overlook of the bustling city of Cape Town, the clouds floating lazily above the sky, and the waves crashing into the rocks lining the shore it becomes a whole new world at the top of Table Mountain. It is almost impossible to think that a place so different from the rest of Cape Town could be reached by simply taking a short cable car up the sheer face of the mountain. After around three weeks in South Africa, the imprint of seeing the country that I have spent so long exploring and learning about as if were as far away as Bryant-Denny Stadium was incredible. With my departure from South Africa coming up in the next few days, I can not help but feel attached to this wonderful country that I have had the opportunity to explore. Going back to the US is almost as strange a feeling as leaving for South Africa, and it has really made me think about what it means to study abroad. I would highly encourage all UA students to study abroad at some point in your college education. During my time abroad I have: made great friends, explored a country that is far away from the US, learned many things about my host country and how they view the US, and gained an experience to immerse myself in a culture that is not my own. All of these experiences are not just fun to obtain, but also highly useful in the real world where the skills gained while studying abroad can be used to further your understanding of the world around you. Given the chance I would absolutely study abroad again without giving it a second thought, I could have never predicted how useful the skills I obtained during my time in South Africa would be. Even more importantly, I never could have predicted how great of a time I would have with the people alongside me while I did this. Roll Tide!
