South Africa Rendezvous

Hi guys!! So I know it's been a while since I was able to post. I've been so busy taking two summer classes as I prepare for graduation in December! I want to share with you all about my trip to Cape Town this past June! So I was able to travel to Cape Town June 16-27th for my Community Health nursing course. I spent 12 days in Cape Town along with 7 other students and together we worked along side Extreme Response and their partners Living Hope and New Beginnings. I was able to serve the local communities while there in the Western Cape.

I had such a great time performing health screenings in the local community, which consisted of blood pressure checks, blood sugar checks, height, weight, and BMI assessments, as well as TB screenings and HIV testing. This trip provided me with an opportunity to explore the roles of the community health nurses that work in South Africa. As a nursing student I became aware of my perceptions in my goal of becoming more culturally competent. I believe this trip provided me with the relevant aspects of cultural knowledge. As I engaged first hand with a new cultural group I learned how our own attitudes could influence our perceptions about cultural differences.
During my time in Cape Town I was able to really get a chance to explore the area and do some "touristy" things as well. We all went to Fairview Farms, which is a vineyard, and we had wine and cheese tasting. We also spent two nights on Buffelsfontein which is a game reserve! On the game reserve I was impacted by just the presence of the wild animals. Seeing them up close was amazing and standing so close to a cheetah was unbelievable!

Among other things, we all went to Table Mountain, toured the hospital where the 1st heart transplant in history happened, the Nursing School at the University of The Western Cape and the southern most point of South Africa, called the Cape Of Good Hope!

The hightlight of my trip was the incredible time I had loving on the kids of a local daycare we wentto visit! During my time in Cape Town I learned so much information about nursing, healthcare, and history. I am very thankful for the opportunity to have traveled to South Africa. This trip will always be one of the most memorable trips I’ve been on. Getting to know various individuals in South Africa was such a blessing. I enjoyed sharing pictures of my family with them, as well as taking pictures with them. My trip to Cape Town was undoubtedly a life-changing experience. I know that I have grown as a person and this experience will help me be more of an empathetic and culturally competent nurse.

Travel Tip: Surviving A Long Haul Flight ✈️✈️

Monday I'll be heading out on my trip!! For those that are interested in knowing where I'm going and what's in my carry on check it out here :) For this trip it will be a 20+ hour flight, so flights stretching longer than 8 hours there are certain must have essentials you need in your carry on! Everyone has different priorities and needs for comfortable travel. My list can be used a reference guide or a good starting point for less-experienced travelers.

Good Seats: A definite must for a long haul flight. I always like to upgrade to Economy Comfort seats for extra leg room. Reserving your seat by the window or is always best. The window gives you the view and the isle gives you easy access to the bathroom.


Sleeping Aids: These are good if you don't think your going to be able to sleep on your flight. I always like comfy items that promote sleep such as a neck pillow, ear plugs and an eye mask!

Stay Hydrated: It's extremely important to stay hydrated while traveling. Water is your best friend while flying because the recirculated air will dehydrate you fast.


Carry On: Make sure you have everything you need to stay entertained on the plane. Just remember anything over 100ml cannot go into your carry on.


Movement: Staying active and moving is very important because you need to keep your blood pumping around your body. Get up and walk down the isles or to the bathroom to stretch your legs. Compression socks are also nice to keep your legs from swelling .

Packing For South Africa!!

"We travel not to escape life, but so that life does not escape us."

Well as you can tell by the title of this post, I'm headed to South Africa. Cape Town to be exact! I'm leaving in about 2 weeks, so I've already began packing. This trip is based around my international community health nursing class in which I will be receiving 6 credit hours from my University. I've traveled abroad many times, and its always been with family. This is my first trip with a group, so I'm definitely excited and a little nervous, as you can imagine. Upon arrival to Cape Town we will be staying with our host family in a bed and breakfast. Throughout my time there I, along with my instructor and other nursing students, will be working with different health care agencies, and a group called extreme response. Together we will perform health teaching for healthcare workers, in the community we’ll do door-to-door education and also conduct a health fair in a few of the townships. One township we will be working with in particular is called Masiphumelele or Masi for short. This is located in the southern part of the Cape Town peninsula. 

 All together including layovers this is going to be a 28 hour flight. So what did I pack in my carry on for such a long flight? Find out below in the WIMB: Travel Edition video. Connect with me on Twitter and Instagram to follow my journey through South Africa!

Thank you to all my family and friends that helped make this trip possible.