A 21st to remember

Clear morning

Edge of the townships

Birthday lunch!

Although I was less than ecstatic that my 21 fell on the second day of my trip, my day turned out to be pretty amazing. After our routine breakfast at Cocoa Cha Chi (utilized for the wifi and delicious breakfasts), my day began with visits to different service sites. It was breathtaking to take in the scenery and see the townships from the drive. We stopped at three sites (Charlie’s, Devin’s and Kate’s) and were able to tour them and hear all about their mission. It energized me and got me even more excited for my site. When we returned, we were finally united with four more program participants, who had spent the last days traveling to New York, Paris and Amsterdam. The last 4 will join us tomorrow after spending the night in Johannesburg airport. We then were treated to lunch for which I got sea food pasta, which lived up to my high expectations of Cape Town’s marine cuisine (considering the proximity to the water). We returned for some down time before heading out for birthday margaritas. I was so happy to be accompanied by the whole group for celebratory “legal” drinks (a little silly considering we also went out for beers the night before). By the end of the day, I had also enjoyed a birthday cake from Pick’N’Pay (think combination of cocoa powder, pound cake and something else), complimentary drinks, and 2 rounds of happy birthday. Birthdays are so sentimental but this one was definitely one of the most memorable and left me with a really good feeling.