A Weekend Away

A few weekends ago, we went on our first all-Interstudy outing to the Touws River area. We spent most of our first day volunteering at an elementary school a couple hours away. We completely re-vamped their entire classroom setting – repainting the walls, cleaning the floors, and then putting everything back together again. When a break was due, we would go outside and play soccer or learn new handshakes with the adorable kids that went to school there. It was a very rewarding way to start the weekend away.

Afterward, we journeyed to the Aquila game reserve. It was a luxurious weekend of animal spottings and pool escapades. Seeing such marvelous animals within mere meters –metric does make more sense, you must admit –of you is quite an experience. The weekend of luxury would not have been complete without a grand buffet, of which we took full advantage, let me assure you. After surviving off of wheatabix, wheat bread, peanut butter, and ketchup, all-you-can-eat dining was much appreciated (trying to save money for the many adventures here, of course).

We spent the evening swimming in the pool and creating synchronized swimming routines; and, of course, when I say “we”, I mean those who would lay their dignity on the line for the sake of synchronized swimming. The chatting and laughter went late into the night, and, although I was supposed to half an entire cabin to myself, I chose to sleep in an extra single bed in Britt’s cabin to avoid being so alone. I didn’t come abroad to enjoy luxury by myself, after all. The next day was spent in the sunshine by the pool, playing games, and laughing hysterically over the little things. As necessary, my schoolbooks were open, but hardly touched. How could I pass up a good ol’ game of Marco Polo?