We wake up at the crack of dawn. Today, we are going to Kruger National Park, one of the world’s largest parks. I am excited beyond belief. I am going on a real African Safari. I can cross one thing off my bucket list because yes, at 14, I have a bucket list!

Leaving so early in the morning already feels like an adventure. The Park is just far away from Johannesburg to remind us that this is an expedition, but not so far that the drive becomes unbearably tedious. The Park is huge, and in four days (four days!) we will only cover perhaps 1/8^th of it. The names of the different gates sound so exotic. Pretoriuskop Numbi Gate, Orpen, Phalaborwa, Shingwedzi. I have been warned that we might not see the big five, lion, buffalo, leopard, elephant and rhinoceros. Hannelie and Dirk have been here countless of times, and there are bird species and animals that they have never yet spotted. I am happy just to be driving on this road; so similar to those I’ve seen in movies that I have to pinch myself.

To our delighted surprise, we see all five (though of course not all at once). We see the very elusive leopard, so good at hiding that it takes us several minutes to spot him. He crosses, right before our car, right before our eyes, and I try to snap pictures, knowing full well that there is no way I can capture the beauty of the leopard, and more importantly, our feelings of awe and gratitude. There is no way I can capture with my small camera, or with my oh so inadequate words, the wonder of being here in Africa, with the sun beating on my head, and the thrill of adventure squeezing my insides. We see wild dogs, very much an endangered species. Elephants pass before us- twice- with their very cute babies in two, and we are so close that we have to retreat 600 meters to let them pass. We see five different types of eagles, at least 27 rhinoceros. I scribble madly in my Kruger National Park booklet, trying to mark all the animals sighted, but I’m sure I miss a few. Hannelie keeps saying that seeing so many animals is unusual, and I’d love to think that this is somewhat due to my presence here.

I privately think that this is South Africa’s way of putting on a grand show, just to make me regret, a little more than I do already, my very imminent departure! Dirk knows so much about animals, and being with him is like being with the greatest of guides. He is funny too. This safari is the perfect finale to a perfect trip. In two days, I’ll be home. Sort of. Parts of me, I think, will stay right here, in Africa. – David Elbaz ’15

I love the fact that Rickus is a cricket player. It enables me to attend cricket games regularly. There is a very special atmosphere at the games, which I am not sure even compares to our hockey fever. Not that the intensity is stronger here, but there is a different vibe, and I love it. Plus, I feel total pride in my friend’s accomplishments.

This weekend, we went to a mall, with an open market selling traditional African wares. I have no sense of fashion whatsoever, no sense of what to buy, and I so want to bring back stuff for my siblings. Thank goodness Hannelie is here to guide me. I think I’ll stick to petting tigers. It’s a lot less anxiety provoking than shopping.

We attended another of Rickus’ games. Just pure fun. I practice hitting a ball against a wall, and with each hit is the unwelcome thought “I’m going to miss it here”.  Already, with two weeks left still and the prospect of a real safari at Kruger Park, I am feeling a little sad. There is so much I am going to leave here. An amazing family, a great school, good friend. I am so glad I came on this exchange first, because I know that in a few months, I’ll get to show Rickus my home, my school, my (Canadian) friends. It’s not really the end at all. Even if it kind of is…

An exchange is tricky. Too short a time, and you don’t really get immersed. Too long, and the risk is great that you’ll be so involved that your life at home becomes strange and unreal. I’m thinking of all that I still want to do here. At Saints, Easter weekend is huge. The spirit runs high, and six weeks before, we are already practicing war cries in anticipation of the big rugby game. The Canadian in me can’t help being a little jaded about the whole thing, but the South African in me (eight weeks was perhaps long enough for my conversion) is enthusiastic, and I wish, wish, wish I could still be here for the games. It is perhaps time I leave, after all, before I become too involved here.

It’s really not all sunshine here. Literally. I was supposed to play my last basketball game this weekend. Eight players of the opposite team got struck by lightening as they were rushing to pull the cover over the cricket field. One is still in a coma. I heard that two girls died. It is a somber weekend. The father of a student at Hannelie’s school died in a motorcycle accident. And of course, there is the story of the Olympian Oscar Pistorius who allegedly killed his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. It is so, so, so sad.

I am going to end this on a bittersweet note. Tomorrow, I’ll be going back to Saints for my last week of school. Then spring break, then home… – David Elbaz ’15