I’m just now realizing that it’s been a week since I’ve last written and realizing how busy I always am here. We had our first entire free weekend last weekend and it was so so much fun. We helped sort through books at the library I mentioned in a previous post on Friday, went shopping and out to lunch at Kaulks Bay on Saturday, and watched the sunset at Camps Bay on Sunday night.
We also had a full week (Monday through Wednesday) of internship and it was amazinggggg to say the least. On Monday all I did was mix antibiotic powder with water for the patients but on Tuesday we finally got to meet Sister Castle (who we all heard a lot about from previous interns) and she’s so so great. She told us that she was going to teach us a lot and told the other nurses to let us do more as well. We all learned how to do HIV testing ourselves (doing finger pricks are not bad at all contrary to what I predicted!!) which was awesome because I finally felt like I was helping instead of just sitting around watching. Sister Castle isn’t like a ‘boss’ to us, she’s super personable and you can tell she actually tell she cares about us. She told us how to be safe around the Tafelsig area, told us she would bring us out to lunch one day and to her house and she’s even going to come over our house so we can make her dinner!! She told us to do as much as we could while we’re here. She said “when you go home you’re going to miss this” and already I know she’s right.
Another sister from the clinic overhead us talking one day on break how we are struggling with what to make ourselves for our lunch break. Later that day she went up to Emily (one of my friends interning at the clinic as well) and told her to tell the rest of us not to bring anything on Monday because she’s going to make something for us all. I’m telling you this to try and show you how amazing all the sisters are. I find myself missing the clinic on the days we aren’t there.
Today we had class again until 3:00 isn and then we all split up to do our own thing for the rest of the day. Some people stayed at UCT (University of Cape Town) to get work and other things done, some went home to nap and relax by the pool, some when grocery shopping, etc.. Anyway, it was nice to have that personal time but when I finally came home to a half empty house, it was kind of strange. I started thinking about our pre departure class back at UConn and how most of us didn’t know each other at all. We sat in class but never made any real connections. Now that we’re here and it’s been a couple of weeks I laugh at how awkward we must have been. We’re a family now. We’re apart for an afternoon and I find myself missing my housemates. We still have so much time here but I’m already dreading going home and not being just a room away from such amazing people.
Tonight most of us are staying in because we’re hiking Table Mountain in the morning!! I’m literally so excited so here’s to hoping I get at least a little sleep so I’m awake and ready to go…
jenniferklinecpsa 