Ex amicitia, familia

In all my orientations and talks about going abroad, there were two common themes: culture shock and homesickness. Culture shock? Haven’t really encountered it. Cape Town has it’s similarities to D.C., so I’ve become kind of immune to the differences. Perhaps it’s just lucky for me to be from a city to know what city life is like, which has been my blessing. However, as I sit here, on my 21^st birthday, homesickness has finally set in.

It’s not to say at all that there are problems with being in Cape Town. This place is perhaps the most beautiful, most interesting, and most fun place I’ve ever lived. I could actually see myself years out from now living here, practicing law in the Mother City. The people here? Fantastic. My housemates are my friends, my family in Cape Town. There’s no wonder that our house motto (fully credit goes to Remy on this) is ex amicitia, familia (Out of friendship, family). We are a family; a family that lives and dies together. A family that fights for each other, a family that fights with each other, but at the end of the day a family that really, deep down, loves each member.

However, there is one element missing. For the last hour or so, I’ve been chatting with some of my best friends from home. Christy, Christelle, thank you for reminding me of what I have at home. I am only homesick right now for the incredible things that I have there. There is no way to explain what it’s like to miss you best friends so much that it hurts down to the core. I would love nothing more than a day sitting on the roof of 2400M, or in “club 5-1-fo” with my best friends, laughing and relishing in the fact that we found people who operate on the same wavelength.

Talking with Billy & Allie yesterday also made me realize what an incredible family I have. Every single one of them knows what it has taken for me to come here, recognizes that this is something we don’t get to do very often, and has supported my independence. I would give anything to have any of you down here, just to share with you this incredible city. Thank you for recognizing that I need to do things that are outside the norm for our family, and for affording me the opportunity to live out a dream.

I hope no one confuses this post with any idea of sadness. There is no sadness in Cape Town – it’s too chill for that. However, I think it’s just an hour of melancholy brought along by celebrating my first birthday out of the country (and out of the only country in the world where a 21^st birthday is actually a monumental occurrence).

So, to anyone who reads this – my friends & family back home and my friends here – I love you all dearly. Thanks for your well-wishes from the States, and thanks for showing me the time of my life last night & tonight here. To all my friends & relatives: we’re all family. You’ve all influenced me in ways that you may not see, but in ways I can notice. This homesickness is not a bad thing – it’s just made me appreciate both what I have in the States and what I have in South Africa. And it’s made me realize that I’m, simply put, lucky. No matter what, it’s a family affair. Ex amicitia, familia applies to everyone I know.