After three years developing the World Traveler Internship program, I finally decided to get out from behind the desk and experience this program “in the field.” I must say, I always thought World Traveler Internship was pretty awesome, but I don’t think I realized until I got out there how life-changing it actually is.  It changed me -- and I only experienced it for 8 days!

For starters, I have never been a big risk-taker. I’ve always preferred physical challenges with my feet safely on the ground, but traveling with the Interns means taking risks… so I faced my lifelong fear of heights (specifically falling from a plane) and took the dive over Plett Bay,  South Africa. Needless to say, I was terrified…

Of course, after the first adrenaline rush, I was confident I could live through anything so I said screw it.  Might as well dive with sharks while I’m at it.  TIA!  Translation: This is Africa! A common phrase you’ll hear while traveling across this wild continent.

But South Africa isn’t all about testing the physical limits of (wo)mankind. It’s also about stretching your worldview and interacting with a way of life very foreign to life as we know it in the U.S.  Lindsay, Chris and I spent several days working with children in the townships just outside Cape Town.  Prior to visiting, I had no idea what the word township even meant, but I quickly learned that these communities, created for non-whites during the Apartheid, were living a far harsher reality than their white neighbors down the block.  The children we worked with had been sexually abused, some were HIV positive and some were overcoming an addiction to drugs that they had had since birth.  Talk about a rough start to life.

The good news is that the South African government and many non-profit organizations are working hard to make improvements especially with World Cup 2010 right around the corner.  I was happy to see that several of the crèches we worked with were full of volunteers and resources for the children.  Every little bit helps.

Traveling with the World Traveler Interns through South Africa amazed me and inspired me so much so that I’ve created a video to convince all you travelers why you should meet up with the interns next summer!

If you have any questions about South Africa or what it’s like to meet up with the interns, don’t hesitate to ask!