(From April 5)
A rough start to the week—but a good one, academically, intellectually,
consumer-wise. I have a feeling this will be a shorter blog post, as I’m
feeling slightly less inspired and a little less willing to engage with my
thoughts than usual.
Yesterday was a regular old Monday. Hours of class and
presentation, including an extraordinary presentation
by my IHP and Harvard peer, Samantha. I felt like I was learning a lot, my mind
was incredibly intellectually stimulated, and I was pretty self-satisfied with
my ability to stay mindfully engaged the whole day, even though it took a lot
of effort. I visited the Bo’Kaap Museum with Sally after class, a museum dedicated
to the evolution of the neighborhood in which we are residing for the remainder
of this week. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I still learned a bit and
met a native of New Orleans!
I rested in the house for the remainder of the night,
doing homework, reading my book, and watching Shonda Rhimes’s wonderful lineup.
Today involved a really difficult lineup of classes and
discussion that left me feeling frustrated, angsty, and isolated. Luckily, I
have a friend like Caitlin, with whom I can relax and laugh and simply be without worrying about judgment or
sadness. She assisted me as I engaged in some retail therapy at the South
African Forever 21 and a nearby market. We also went to a local souvenir shop
for some postcards and a liquor store for some wine, which we’d drink during
our next experience.
Along with Super Sally, we drove up to the top of Signal
Hill, the hill which we visited on the first day of our program. We settled in
around an hour before actual sunset and discussed important and intriguing
parts of our lives and our experiences. I simply loved enjoying the view, the
moment of reflection, the delicious South African wine, the crispness with two
people whom I love, appreciate, and respect so deeply. It was wonderful.
Tonight, I may be heading out on the town in order to
enjoy Cape Town’s nightlife before retreating into the periphery of Langa
township, which is far and isolated from the center of the city. When I told my
host mom that I was planning on going out, she literally exclaimed, “finally!!!”
This coming from a devout Muslim who abstains completely from alcohol. This
makes me think that it really is about time I venture out of my bubble.
So, though there are many things to discuss and think about and reflect upon, I’m giving myself the night off. I’m going to relax and enjoy myself and be happy, because I’ve been wearing myself down, focusing so closely and stressing myself quite unnecessarily. SO tonight is all about Aubs—and I can’t wait!
With love,
Aubrey Noelle
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