A full month in to study abroad, and I couldn't believe how fast it was going already. I loved the city of Port Elizabeth. I loved seeing the ocean from my giant window in my room. I loved how each day was exciting. I loved the new people, the different languages around me (Afrikaans, isiXhosa, English with a South African accent), being completely on my own, having all these students from around the world near me, everything. I already knew I did not want to go home, and that I wanted more time being abroad.
I am very much a beach and mountain person, and South Africa had both to offer. I loved walking and running right by the beach, especially with friends. It was a great way to talk to people while enjoying the outside. Right away I could tell that I was delighted by being an exchange student. I was adjusting to the South African ways. The South Africans were very friendly, and would start a conversation during check out at the grocery store. Another cultural part that I noticed very quickly was the pace. In South Africa, everything was very slow and took forever. I appreciated it because my patience improved tremendously. Maybe it is because I have been living in New England, North America, maybe it is just the United States mentality, but it was nice to not always rush and feel rushed. The expression "Time is Money" did not apply. At first, many internationals complained, but everyone after a while adapted quickly. In the first months, we (I and the friends I made in Port Elizabeth) explored a lot of the PE area. There were different beaches and my favorite is Sardinia Beach. We explored different restaurants, and different shopping centers. We explored different nature trails, various game parks with all the typical animals from Africa, and even a penguin rehab center. One thing that was discovered that quickly became a regular monthly habit was the Goodnight Market. The market always seemed to fall on a night near or on the full moon. The market had an entrance fee of 20 rand, but then there were samples of the many types of foods and drinks they had to offer. I am huge fan of sweets, and my sweet tooth was more than ecstatic at this market. There were not one, but three dessert tables. A general consensus was that these homemade red velvet brownies were the best. However, this 77% dark chocolate mousse cake came very close. At the Goodnight Market, there was live music, a henna artist, and many people. We had dinner at the market, bought dessert, then went to the beach to enjoy the dessert. It was beautiful. There was a full moon, and the sky was clear. It was a really nice night.
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