Hi everyone!
Wow I cannot believe we are in our last week here in Cape Town! The time has certainly gone by fast. I cannot believe that I almost did not come on this trip. The things I have learned, seen, and done are life changing and so memorable that I would have regretted not coming to Cape Town for the rest of my life. I am so excited to come home, but I will definitely miss this city and the time I have spent here.

The first thing I am going to do in Detroit airport on Sunday is buy a Starbucks coffee or a Dunkin Donuts coffee, whichever I see first; along with a bagel and cream cheese. Carolynn Z., Jess and I will never enjoy a coffee from those places as much as we will on Sunday.

Anyway, I feel I must fill you all in on the things we’ve been doing our last week here. On Friday we took a tour of the pediatric intensive care unit at the Red Cross. We also went to Groote Schuur and toured the neonatal intensive care unit which consisted of 74 babies! It was wonderful, but also sad to walk around that NICU, which looked and operated similar to home. At this same hospital, the first heart transplant in the world was done 41 years ago. We took a tour of the heart transplant museum there. The operating room in which it took place was set up just like it was 41 years ago and the actual hearts from the transplant were there as well. This was a very informative experience and something we had all been wishing to do all semester.

On Friday night Art, Ben, all the girls and I went to an Ethiopian restaurant called Addis in Cape in downtown Cape Town. This was the first time most of us have tried Ethiopian food and it was quite the experience. We sat in low wooden chairs which were surrounding four small tables made out of wicker. The waitress came around with a bowl and a kettle of water and we each washed our hands right there at our seats before we ate since you are only eating with your hands. The food was in family style portions so we all shared. The dinner platter consisted of a large flat piece of bread, which to us nursing majors looked and felt like burn gauze (sounds appetizing I know), and the main courses came in small bowls that were poured onto the bread. There was fish, lamb, chicken, lentils, a mushroom sauce, meat, and vegetables, and you take the rolled up bread, eating with only your right hand, and use the bread to pick up the various foods. The food was excellent and the dessert was even better.

On Sunday evening eight of us went to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens for the FreshlyGround concert. They are a very popular band here. We took blankets, a picnic, and wine and laid out in the grass with the thousands of other people to listen to the band. It was a very relaxing and fun night.

Monday evening we had our farewell dinner at the Lady Paramount hotel. Vernon Rose hosted the dinner and we invited all the Sisters, and people we worked with at the various clinics and hospitals. We took a lot of pictures to remember all these wonderful people. Dr. Guma, Ben, Art, and Parks (our driver) were also there. Dana gave a beautiful speech about our experiences at the clinics and hospitals and gave special thank you’s to Vernon, Ben, Art, Dr. Guma, and Parks. Art handed out certificates with a group picture of us on it to the different clinic and hospital hosts, as well as gifts for Ben and Vernon. It was a great night and it definitely set in for me that we are leaving.

Today, Jessica, Dana, Jordan (Dana’s boyfriend), and I went to Muizenberg beach. It was really windy but we were able to see the colored beach houses that line the shore. We also watched Jordan surf since Muizenberg is known for its surfing. Since the weather didn’t turn out to be the best for a beach day, Jess and I headed to the Waterfront for lunch and some last minute shopping, while Dana stayed with Jordan at the beach so he could continue his surfing.

The rest of this week I plan to finish up our nursing work, soak up as much sun as I can, and really take in my last few days here in South Africa. This trip has been the best and most rewarding experience of my life and I will forever remember my experiences with all these wonderful girls and people I have met here.

I am so excited to come home to everyone, even though it is going to be freezing!
See you all this weekend!
-Kristen