Aisha during her internship in Cape Town

I was pretty calm when I got off the plane, but I did think, “Oh god, am I really doing this?” Especially because it was one of those moments where I was completely out of my comfort zone — looking for the airport exit and trying to find my way through a new city. Fortunately, that feeling only lasted about two minutes.

Crime?

Safety is not as much of a given in South Africa as it is in the Netherlands. During my time there, I only felt unsafe once. I was more scared by the idea that there’s a lot of crime than by anything that actually happened. Toward the end of my internship, I think I did experience some homesickness, but that was mainly because I knew I’d be going home soon. I didn’t really do anything to get over it and just went traveling around Africa after finishing my internship. I think the only real solution was simply to go home.

Warm welcome

I felt completely at home! Nowhere else have I had that feeling. At first, I thought I would feel at home because I’m half Afrikaans and definitely recognized things from South African culture, but then I saw that everyone around me felt at home too — Europeans, (South) Americans, and Africans from neighboring countries alike. Probably because South Africa is so welcoming. South Africans have a very laid-back attitude, and it’s really not hard to make friends here.

Adventurous Germans

I mostly worked and lived with South Africans, but the internationals I befriended came from Germany and the Netherlands, so it wasn’t that exotic. To be honest, many of the Dutch people I met were really in party mode, living in big houses, going to tourist spots, and avoiding the culture and contact with locals. I liked going out in smaller places and was interested in other things, so it wasn’t really my scene. The Germans I met were much more interested in the culture and quite adventurous, so it was more fun to meet up with them. Forget all your prejudices (if you had any) about Germans because on every trip I took, I met some really cool Germans!

Spicy food

Food is maybe where my half-African side really comes in handy! I like spicy food, so that wasn’t a problem. South Africans eat a lot of meat, which I’m not a big fan of, but it’s fine in dishes. I also found mieliepap, a side dish made from flour that’s a bit like dough, a little heavy on the stomach. But I still liked it!

No rush

The most important thing I learned was about my life back home: rushing around, planning everything, and keeping schedules isn’t the way I want to live. Capetonians are incredibly lucky to have such beautiful nature all around them and, thanks to the great weather, can always be outside. Work is necessary to survive, but it’s definitely not the top priority. Quality time with friends, family, and even pets is much more important. Just like good wine, good food, and music. They celebrate life and aren’t afraid to take it slow or relax. Yes, this means it can take three weeks to get internet, but you don’t even notice that if you’re too busy lying on the beach. I can imagine it takes time for a Westerner to get used to this slow pace of life, but it’s worth it.

Capetonians in three words

Friendly, relaxed, outgoing. I loved them.