Pre-Departure Reflections

I chose to study abroad because I to learn more than what was offered to me at Mason. I believe you cannot truly learn unless you see or experience something for yourself, well at least for me anyways since I’m an especially visual learner. I chose to study abroad in South Africa because I wanted to learn about race relations in countries that are not my own, and given that Nelson Mandela, who is such a prominent figure globally is from South Africa, I figured that this would be the perfect opportunity for me. I hope to gain a deep understanding of cultural differences and how past and ongoing conflicts effect people and their communities and how they interact with the ‘opposing’ groups. I hope that I will become more open-minded and knowledgeable about histories, cultures, and conflicts other than my own. Also I really like penguins and elephants so I’m pretty excited for that.