Vir Altyd. Forever.

 The time has come to say 'See you later' to the wonderful country that has been my home since July and the friends that have changed my life forever. I think back to July 14th when I stood in the security line at Pittsburgh International Airport with my tissues clutched in hand and my face red and streaked with tears. I didn't want to leave the comfort of Morgantown or my family and friends. To say that it got better after I arrived would be a lie. The first night in my flat I had no wifi, no way of contacting home. At the time I didn't even know I had a roommate. I took one look at the cold tiled floors and small twin bed and started to cry. Luckily the next day is when it all started looking up. That week I met my roommate and our friends from AIFS, learned about the university, celebrated Mandela Day, and made my way around town. Even though I was making friends and having fun, I still thought I'd be counting down the days until it was time to go home, five months away.

Had someone told me in July that Stellenbosch would have such an impact on me, I would have thought they were crazy. Of course everyone says how studying abroad was the best decision they ever made, but I didn't think that would be my case. But as the days and weeks and eventually months passed by, I found myself becoming so entwined with this new place that I actually started to cherish every day I had left. The thought of going home gave me butterflies because I knew I would never be able to get this experience back again.

There is a secret to studying abroad that most people will never talk about. Stories from abroad include the crazy adventures you have, the people you meet, the beautiful sites you see; it's never about how you fall so deeply in love with a country that you don't know normal anymore. We were all warned about a "third culture" that we would discover upon our return home, a combination of our lives before we left home, our lives abroad, and the new "normal" that we return to. No one ever explains that studying abroad can enlighten your life and break your heart at the same time.

So it's with a heavy heart that I say goodbye. Not to all of the amazing people that walked next to me on our journey in South Africa, because I know that we will see each other again. Not to the experiences, because they will live on forever. Instead, I say goodbye to the palm-tree shaded streets of Stellenbosch, the clear South African sky that made the sun a little too hot in the spring, and Concordia's courtyard where we'd lie at night and count the stars. Goodbye to the busy shops on Dorp Street, calm Sunday morning strolls, and tip-toeing through the park near the residences at night. We will miss our "just one" nights at Bohemia and stealing the stage at Catwalk, the views from Table Mountain and the rocky ride to Robben Island. Most of all we will miss the way it felt to sit up until 4 in the morning talking about absolutely nothing at all until our eyes were too heavy to stay open, walking across the courtyard in our pajamas when someone felt homesick, hosting big dinners in our small kitchens, and whispering our secrets during a boring three-hour lecture.

Stellenbosch has changed us in ways we may not understand until we've been home for months, but one thing we know is that the memories and friendships that were created there will last a lifetime. So, as my farewell to South Africa, I would like to thank everyone who made it such an incredible six months. I believe it is also appropriate to recognize the bravery and dedication of one iconic man, Nelson Mandela, who made our time abroad possible through years of struggle and perseverance.

At WVU, we have a saying: Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer. It rings true from the moment you join your peers in filling the coliseum at Freshman Welcome, to the day you are handed your diploma and become an alumn. I believe that in becoming a Matie, Stellenbosch assumed the same meaning for me, as a place that I will always belong to. Thank you South Africa, and most importantly, thank you Stellies, for everything you have given me. Vir Altyd. Forever. 

In Memory of Nelson Mandela, 1918- 2013
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