Life is...

I realize these past two blog posts I have written have been a bit harsh. I am still learning here and sometimes my emotions get a bit haywire. For now though, can I please tell you all about the beauty I have found here? This past weekend my house along with about 10 more people went on a sunset sail, in celebration of our friend Sam's 21st birthday. Her dad had flown to Cape Town to celebrate both of their birthdays together in style. Sam is the type of person who I feel so incredibly grateful to have met because of her sweet spirit and funny personality. We all breathed in the ocean air, gasped at the views that were laid out in front of us and of course took pictures of the seals lounging on a buoy. Champagne was brought out for everyone and as we all clinked glasses in honor of our friendships, the sun painted the whole sky and ocean and city and mountains golden. It was a beautiful moment and an amazing time to build and strengthen the relationships of all who were among us. The stars and moon came up and twinkled down on us and the warm ocean breeze left me feeling so grateful for all of these people and this amazing opportunity. We headed back to the house and celebrated with cake from Charly's bakery and of course a terrible rendition of Happy Birthday. We all headed back into some cabs and went down to Long Street. It was my first experience going to Longstreet at night known for all of the bars on the street, it is supposed to have an incredible night atmosphere. I met some really interesting people and although it was a fun night, I'm glad for me it's only a once in a few weeks type of thing, it's exhausting to stay up until 2 a.m!

I almost forgot! Friday I volunteered at the Ark again and although I was planning on working with the students in drama club, I ended up painting the base coat of the entrance near the Ark. We were told that it was burnt and blackened because at night, young girls sell themselves in the streets and in order for the men to see them, they burn large fires to catch the attention of many. Many times people at the Ark offer them a place to stay, and some warm food, but their offers are declined usually. We painted for four hours and something I've realized with painting is that you get instant gratification for the work you have done and it was so nice to step back and take a look at it all.

Sunday was one of my favorite days. My morning started off with Simon picking me up to buy a load of balloons. It was kind of him to drive otherwise I'm unsure of how I would've gotten there on my own. It was quite comical trying to shove all of the balloons in his car but somehow we managed. Last year, my friend Tessa was killed in a car accident, and as my way of honoring her, I invited all of my friends to write letters to people they've loved and lost, or just people who they feel distant from. We attached those letters to balloons and released them at sunset over Lake Michigan. It reminded me of how lucky I am to have the friends in my life that i do, and to appreciate everything for exactly what it is. I want to make it a yearly remembrance, and so I invited a few of my friends I have made here in Cape Town to come along. Though Sundays tend to be the busiest days of the week here with people going to church, or Mzoli's, or doing homework, I felt truly happy that anyone even came at all. We hiked up to Rhodes Memorial, I gave a short speech as everyone had prompted me to do so, and we all released the balloons while overlooking the whole city. Later that evening I had a few people message me with how meaningful it was to do something like that and immediately I felt Tessa's spirit again, reminding me that this is what life is about. Life is about the simple things like coming together with friends, honoring each other, loving each other, and watching the sunset. Life is about the simple pleasure of laying on the grass and looking at the sky feeling the breeze wash over your body. Life is about music, sounds that share feelings and emotions. Life is about smiling, just smiling. As much as I could type about what life is, I am leaving that for all of you to contemplate. What, truly, is life all about. Life is......