A Journey to Joy

In May 2024, I had the privilege of traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, with a company called LeadAbroad. It was one of the greatest experiences I've had, and I wanted to share some of those experiences with you all.

Around this time last year, I took a call with LeadAbroad in search of wanting to feel something new and discover more of the world. At this time I was also insanely busy with classes, extracurriculars, and leadership roles, feeling like there was never a moment during the day when I got to do something for me. I was nine times out of ten doing something for someone or something else. So when I finally took the call and had someone asking me what I was interested in, how I was feeling, and what I needed- I knew this company was going to bring me something special.

Throughout the call there were more specific questions like "What activities do you like? How would you describe your personality? Do you have a sense of adventure?" and so on. Little did I know that while I was just mindlessly answering these questions, they were figuring out which program they offered would be my "perfect fit."

If you are not aware of LeadAbroad and the programs that they offer I highly recommend looking into them, they offer Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Greece, Florence, Rome, and Costa Rica too. But by the end of the call we had already landed on Cape Town and I just knew my heart wasn't going to let this go. I immediately talked to my parents and they could see my eyes lighting up and hear the excitement in my voice as I explained every last detail of my call to them. A couple of days later I secured my spot and started saving, doing everything I could to be able to go on the trip of my dreams. I even looked towards family and friends who generously helped contribute to getting me to South Africa.

Before I knew it, spring finals were over and I was on the way home to pack and get ready to fly 15 hours to a place I'd never been and knew absolutely nothing about. There were insane nerves and anxiousness, but overall just excitement. We got to the airport, I hugged my parents so tight and fought back tears as I went through security and boarded my plane.

As the flight took off I put my headphones in, listened to music, and just thought about everything that had happened over the past few months. I finally felt like I was able to breathe. The months leading up to the trip were chaotic, and stressful and had drained so much out of me that I felt like a robot most days. I was so used to functioning in autopilot to get everything I needed to done, that I didn't even realize how unhappy I was. The rest of my flight felt like the night before Christmas, I was so giddy but also so calm.

Now for the main event, Cape Town! The minute we arrived the entire LeadAbroad group, including Ish (one of the best people ever!), was there with music playing, holding up LeadAbroad flags, and greeting our entire group with the biggest smiles I had seen in a while. We got into our bus groups and made our way to Lagoon Beach, where we'd be staying in Cape Town.

I had come on this trip completely solo, so I had chosen to get matched with "random" roommates. LeadAbroad offers a roommate match system by filling out a test, and honestly, they did amazing because our group of four was pretty close throughout the trip and it was so relieving.

Now I'll give an overview of what I did in my days in Cape Town because LeadAbroad makes it to where you get to see and experience so much in the amount of time that you're there. We took a city tour, went to Signal Landing National Park which is the coolest lookout, drove to Camps Bay, and went to Mermaid Cove all on the first day. The first day was also when we had day 1 orientation where we met our AMAZING LeadAbroad team, Ish, and got reintroduced to our group leader. The next day we had our morning class and our traditional South African welcome dinner which was one of the coolest ways to get introduced to the culture. The next couple of days we had our daily lessons all about leadership and service, we got to dive into ourselves and figure out how and why we function the way we do. We also learned all about The Amy Foundation which is the school that we would be doing our service project at. Each of those days after the lessons we had options to go on certain adventures that we had signed up for. I had chosen skydiving, sand boarding and quad biking, ziplining, and wine tasting. There was also a day when the entire group woke up very, very early and hiked Table Mountain, one of the Natural Wonders of the World. You had the option to hike it or take the cable car up, me and one of my roommates, Cassie, decided to hike it. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done (there's actually a video of me saying that I think I might die), but also one of the most rewarding when I finally reached the top and looked out. We also went to Chapman's Peak, saw the cutest penguins at Boulder's Rock, and went down to the very south of the continent at Cape of Good Hope.

During your free time on the trip, you and your friends can explore the city, with the help and security of the "Ishello drivers" as well as recommendations from LeadAbroad's team. My friends and I found so many good restaurants and got to experience so many cool areas of Cape Town together like Old Biscuit Mill and Watershed Market. (I have a whole list of all the places we went to and can share that as well.)

The lessons that we had were a form of self-reflection. Certain days those workshops put tears in my eyes, and others made me realize how incredibly lucky I am. It also helped reignite the light in my life that I had been so out of touch with in the months prior. How easy it can be to lose the connection to yourself, and the people around you. I slowly started to feel like I was waking up.

The most awake I felt was when we had our service at The Amy Foundation. This foundation is in a township, a very vulnerable community. But there is so much light and life at the foundation. Kids are there with volunteers, going to school, holding extracurricular activities, and becoming so enriched in life and learning. The kids that I got to meet, dance with, play soccer with, and learn from will forever hold a place in my heart. They wore the biggest smiles, gave the tightest hugs, danced and sang with so much joy, and carried themselves so beautifully. In a condition where they could be distraught, sad, and terrified, they carried their hearts on their sleeve and touched mine forever.

Over the span of the trip, I was lucky enough to become really close with some of the girls on the LeadAbroad team; specifically Abbey Tudor and Kelsey Fikkert. I even found out that Abbey was the one I had my initial call with. I'm so grateful for the bond I got to share with them. They were even a part of me getting a tattoo on my wrist to have a permanent reminder of how meaningful and special my time in Cape Town was.

Before I knew it, my time in Cape Town was coming to an end. I started to reflect on all the people I had met and the special friendships I had formed. It was so incredible to meet people my age from all around the United States, and bond with them over shared experiences and a common love for the "Mother City."

LeadAbroad ended the program with our Farewell Dinner, where we saw video recaps of our time in Cape Town, heard from a few of our peers on their personal stories, and the LeadAbroad team talked to us one last time. I remember hugging everyone I had bonded with so tight, refusing to believe I had to say goodbye and leave this place. This was also the night that I opened up to Kelsey and Abbey about how my Cape Town experience had brought so much light and joy back into my life. That the last few months had been rough and I had felt like a weight was constantly holding me down, but this experience had made me feel light again and woke me back up. Thanking them for being who they are, and being a part of this program.

The next thing I knew, I was on my flight home. But it was the weirdest feeling- I somehow felt like I was leaving home, not actually going back to it. But I knew regardless of the situation, I would remember my time in Cape Town forever.

So, for anyone thinking of going to Cape Town, or going abroad with LeadAbroad- do it. I promise that it will be one of your best decisions. You will learn and discover so much about yourself, you'll form some of the greatest friendships, and you'll walk away with the most special memories and a happy heart.

I jumped, I flew, I climbed, I served, I discovered, I reflected, I smiled, I laughed, I cried, and I couldn't have done any of it without LeadAbroad and the people I met along the way. I may be 8,271 miles away, but I carry Cape Town around in my heart (and on my wrist) every day. The most special journey to joy. So thank you LeadAbroad, and thank you Cape Town!

Best,

Caitlyn Burrus