I'm A Citizen

I am sitting in the Johannesburg airport on my way to Rwanda. How fast time goes. It seems like such a short time ago I left home to come to South Africa; yet J-Bay has become so normal and comfortable, in a good way. My time here has been just lovely.

The last week or two has been busy - helping at Noah’s Ark, doing other volunteer things here and there, hiking up to a 'window' in a mountain, watching another sunrise and taking many photos (I’m up to my eyeballs in photo editing ☺). All the while I have been so blessed by everyone here with dinners, hang outs and even a going away party. It’s very bittersweet to be leaving behind a ‘family’.

Last day at Noah's Ark









I’m not sure how to wrap things up. How can I sum up two months of diverse and life changing experiences in a few paragraphs? It isn’t possible.

Thinking back to my first impressions when I arrived here, so much has changed. It’s amazing how traveling and volunteering (for even a short time) can expand your mind and change your thinking dramatically. It teaches so much. I feel sometimes like a perpetual student. And having that opportunity is not something to be taken for granted. One of my friends here said this past weekend, “I can’t imagine being from a first world country.” We were talking about how things can be much easier for those of us who were given the privilege. Do what you can, for those who can’t.

Africa is a beautiful place with so much to offer. There’s so much opportunity for us (as Planet Earth) to benefit from these offerings. I am learning to think in a ‘we’ mentality. Not as a ‘Canadian,’ but as a citizen of the world. We are all in this together! Taking care of each other is not someone else’s responsibility, it’s yours as a citizen of this planet.

As the World Cup opening draws closer here in South Africa, there is much excitement and national pride - flags, t-shirts and everything else imaginable. It reminds me of Canada during the Winter Olympics earlier this year. It was a special moment for our country and I am excited for South Africa, and Africa as a whole, to have that moment. I hope this national pride really sparks something in the people here, binding them together in unity.

Can we have that feeling of national pride as citizens of the world? I really hope so. We were born wearing the jersey... look around and you'll see!










Photoshoot in the township with Becky