On Saturday April 4, I left for an eight-week exchange in Johannesburg, South Africa at St. Stithians Girls College. I have only been here for one week, but so far it has been amazing. My family is extremely nice and everyone I’ve met so far has been very welcoming.

My first day in Johannesburg, my host family and I went to the annual St. Stithians Rugby and Hockey Fest. Their sense of school spirit is incredible. Throughout the games everyone was on their feet shouting war cries.

At the moment, St. Stithians is on their April holiday, so a few days after I arrived, my host family and I left to their game farm for a four-day safari. We saw tons of animals including elephants, zebras, and giraffes and were even lucky enough to see a leopard—one of the most difficult animals to spot—three times! All in all, it was an unbelievable adventure and unlike anything I had ever experienced.

Tomorrow, we depart for a week in Cape Town and its surroundings. —Emily Black