africa: 4 months later

next week marks 4 months since i've moved back from africa, and in that time, i've told every incredulous aids joke i could think of, i've bored each and every one of my friends with my stories about ocean view, and i've stalked all of my african friends on facebook. and yet, i still hold this strong desire to drop everything and fly back to cape town today.

i know that sounds ridiculous, especially after i declared the prudence behind my decision not to spend an extra semester at uct. and, it is. but, that doesn't mean i don't wake up every morning with an inkling of disappointment.

it's not that i don't love my life right now, but – was i too rash in saying i'd accomplished all there was to accomplish by the time i left on november 20? i mean, my internship and volunteer positions were just beginning to take off, my friendships were just beginning to blossom, and i'd finally just begun to understand how life is lived, south africa style. (for instance, that gumtree is south africa's answer to craigslist, that mtn is a better mobile carrier than vodacom, and that even though the taxis are great, you're better off owning a car, too.)

oh well. perhaps it's for the best, after all, that i'm back in america: i ran out of money, and there's no way i could get a job in south africa.

i'm not quite sure what i'm trying to say here, other than that my experience in south africa influenced me more strongly than i'd expected. even while i was there, i didn't realize how much i loved it. then again, perhaps hindsight is 20/20 – i realized how wonderful of a place the united states is to live as a result of my experiences in africa, too.

conclusion: i can't wait to go back. it won't be soon, but it will happen someday. indeed, i think i should.