I have zero words right now to express the gratitude I have in my heart for such a life changing experience in Cape Town, South Africa. How lucky am I to have something so hard to say goodbye to.
One thing that made this experience so incredible was that it totally disrupted my perception of my “I”- the complicated, unintelligible, ever-changing conception of me, of who I am as a person in this beautiful life. I am filled of so pieces of what make me “me”: my family, my friends, my school, my education, my passions, my health, my desires, of anyone who has known me and now this incredibly wonderful place.
Landing in Cape Town, I was occupying the highest degree of freedom I ever had before. I was handed a “be selfish free” card. They say your twenties are your “selfish” years, and for once I could and had to fully embrace this. It was liberating, terrifying, confusing, and altogether overwhelming in a foreign country where no one knew my name and I was granted the ability to fill my time with whomever I chose and wherever I chose.
The economic, racial, social, and cultural diversity accepts health and aging outcomes in more ways than I would have ever expected. It is a very hard place to find stability through this all and it is very important to foster mindfulness in the present moment to not let the emotional upheaval get the best of you. It also names everyone an “other” and simultaneously offers an indiscriminate sense of belonging, which totally has an affect on health and the quality of the way one ages. To be healthy and to age gracefully is to feel mentally content; that includes feel a sense of belonging where you are. I felt it, but not all those who live their do. I felt especially lucky to be able to feel this while growing academically, with my writing through this blog space, growing emotionally through thinking through my ‘research’ and experiences so critically, but also just growing as a living, breathing, human being.
This experience, this mindset, this country, this outlook has disrupted, challenged, bolstered, complicated, and improved my “I”. This country is the perfect place to find oneself without worrying about conforming to any “norm”.
I found myself free to pursue anything I wanted- out of genuine interest and without the pressures of anyone else.
My biggest take away from this total grass rooted research blog of health, aging, spirituality and life: is that while Cape Town, South Africa is probably the most incredible place I will ever go to in my life, it is not the ideal place to be aging, BUT it is for sure the most ideal place to be LIVING. In most countries in Southern Africa, the elderly are more likely than the total population to reside in rural areas. Because of Cape Town’s structure physically, but also socially; it is not the most “age” friendly city. The infrastructure is not set up to support one in their older age, but hopefully that is something that is going to change in the future. Outside of the city, though, with its vast open greenery, it is a place of opportunity to age in such a beautiful way. To foster a mindful second half of life, to be among nature, to live in an age friendly community surrounded by others who are in the same place in life: how wonderful does that sound? That is why so many people move out of the city to aging communities when they cannot physically navigate the inner workings of city life. Cape Town, filled with so much beauty, a wellness oriented lifestyle, the great green outdoors, hiking, swimming, deep thinking, physical beauty, healthy eating and intellectual historical stimulation- is a place to live in the truest sense of the word. As one gets to their Act II, I would recommend moving outside of the city. I would love to live this lifestyle.
No matter how wonderful a place is, you must find a comfort within yourself to fully dive deep into specific life experiences as you age. Without self-love, self understanding and self awareness, one cannot age ‘gracefully’ and “be” presently.
It is amazing how quickly a "foreign" place came to resemble a home in my eyes. I have no regrets about my experience here. I know that in each moment, I was making a decision wholeheartedly, without the thousands of influences and considerations that exist for me back home or at school. I was being “selfish” in every waking moment, and because of that, there is no lack of fulfillment in my departure. Yes, there were many things untouched for me, but I don’t plan on staying away from this country for that long. I’ll be back for you sweet Cape Town- a city I truly lived, found my inner sense of self, learned so much about health and aging and life, met incredible best friends and enjoyed every single waking minute. Thank you USC and my wonderful family for giving me the world.