38 lessons learned in Cape Town

1. It’s important to notice cultural barriers. Sometimes they’re bigger than they seem. Something that is the norm to someone may be rude to someone else.
2. Don’t assume all people who are homeless want money for drugs and alcohol. If they ask for money, ask if you can get them anything from the store, and ask if they want to come with you. They always have an interesting story to tell.
3. Personal relationships are so much more meaningful than materialistic things. Sometimes the happiest people don’t have much, but they have each other, and that means so much more.
4. People don’t always want the life we have.
5. Don’t become obsessed with always being politically correct.
6. Step out of your comfort zone a lot. Those experiences will be your favorites.
7. It’s okay to question theories and have your own opinions about things you learn in school.
8. Americans speak quickly because we live a fast-paced life style. It’s okay to slow down.
9. When you feel confident about yourself and your ability to speak to anyone, your vision of the world opens up.
10. Live in the present. Put your phone down.
11. It’s okay to get angry about things you see that you aren’t okay with. But, being angry won’t solve those things. Take action, too.
12. You will never understand what life is like for people outside of what you see on the surface.
13. Quantity of friends is meaningless over the quality of friendships. Don’t ignore your friends just to make new ones.
14. Many people sincerely don’t like Americans; it’s important to show them that some good Americans do exist.
15. Don’t take little things for granted, like showers. Some people shower out of a bucket of water, as we dump buckets of water on our heads for the ice bucket challenge and take 30 minute showers.
16. Trust me, you don’t need that iPhone 6 if your iPhone 4 works just fine. Pay attention to the more important things in life.
17. Get to know people of many cultures. Ask questions. Listen to their stories.
18. Take time to say “hello” to everyone, even people working in stores.
19. Talk to cab drivers. They see so many people every day, but how many make an effort to ask how their day is going?
20. Pizza gets delivered to our house faster than ambulances get to places in rural Zimbabwe and South Africa (2 hours)
21. Don’t become obsessed with worrying if people like you or not. It’s important to just be yourself, and it may be an insecurity they have.
22. Just because you don’t like someone doesn’t mean you won’t learn to like them in the future. Give them a chance.
23. Don’t wish things away and look at them like they will last forever.
24. Tell the people you care about that you love them. Make an effort to show them you care. Writing a letter goes a long way.
25. There will always be ignorant people. There will always be people who assume Africa is a country, all of Africa is poor, and all of Africa needs saving. You don’t need to convince them what they should believe, but you can teach them.
26. Don’t look at people like they are objects. Everyone is someone’s sister, daughter, friend, wife, etc. That person means the world to someone.
27. It’s okay to stop and just live. Life is what happens when we’re too busy planning other events.
28. You will always try to relate your experiences to something you know just for a level of comfort. When you can’t relate it to anything, that is when you are the most uncomfortable. It’s important to recognize that and realize it’s not a bad thing.
29. There are moments that exist that will truly take your breath away and make your body feel completely numb. Remember these moments forever, because it shows how beautiful this life really is.
30. You don’t always need to be happy about something or sad about something. Sometimes, you just need to be at peace with it.
31. When you’re at a restaurant or in a grocery store, try local food – don’t just stick to the familiar.
32. Just because you don’t like going out and partying all the time doesn’t make you a boring person. You just find more pleasure in other social situations, and that’s okay.
33. If you meet someone and don’t know how to pronounce their name, still make an effort. It shows that you care about them as a person.
34. Continue to find excitement and joy in little things.
35. There’s no such thing as being too happy, no matter what people say.
36. Ubuntu – I am because we are.
37. No one will truly understand my experiences here. That might be one of the hardest things about going home, but it’s necessary to accept that and not be negative about it.
38. It’s just as easy to fall in love with a place as it is to fall in love with a person. Leaving that place can give you so much more heartbreak than a breakup.