Imagine a place where it gets colder as you go south, the toilets flush and the sun sets in the opposite direction, and goats are spotted riding by on top of local buses. My study abroad experience in  

South Africa

  allowed me to feel the pulse of a nation still reeling from apartheid's legacy, make friends with people representing every color in what some call the "rainbow nation," and see some of the most astonishing natural wonders imaginable.

Get Your Passport Stamped
My experiences outside of the classroom only enhanced what I was exposed to as a student at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg, a small town six hours south of Johannesburg.

My fellow classmates at the University of Natal saw me as an apple-pie American in South Africa, born and raised in a country that boasts universal equality. Through my American ideals, I represented hope for the future of South Africa and was welcomed by all. The very night I arrived in South Africa--even before I could get my luggage in the door--I was invited to a house party in a Zulu Township.

The party was an unforgettable introduction to my study abroad in South Africa. I learned the intricacies of the Zulu handshake, was given the privilege of meeting the elders in the home, and danced until dawn with my new friends. I learned that the situation in South Africa goes much deeper than a black-white thing, a misconception I was taught by the American media.

I was welcomed into every culture and befriended people representing every color of the spectrum. Through these friendships, I was introduced to African history firsthand--something I had never done in school--and was able to combine the diverse cultural perspectives to gain a much greater overall understanding of South Africa.

Take Your Own African Safari
South Africa offers everything you could ever imagine in a study abroad experience. When you're not studying, Africa's natural beauty and extreme landscape is an adventure sports mecca. There's skydiving, the tallest bungee jump in the world, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, quadbogging (four-wheeling on the dunes in the desert), hiking, and much more.

If you're looking for urban bliss, South Africa has that, too. Traveling around South Africa is easy and inexpensive. Capetown, Johannesburg, Durban, and Pretoria are all major cities that offer awesome nightlife, great shopping, and amazing history.

When it comes to traveling, if you keep your head and make wise decisions like you would anywhere else in the world, you'll be fine. I traveled mostly by bus and I couldn't have felt safer.

Outside of these big cities, you'll find yourself traveling among zebras, lions, baboons, and giraffes that casually stroll along the side of the road. Or you can look over waterfalls taller than 15-story buildings and whitewater raft down some one of the most renowned rivers in the world. The Indian Ocean is so clear, you can stand up to your neck in water and smile at your feet. If you love nature, this is your paradise.

Just think ... through a study abroad program, you can immerse yourself in part of the changes taking place as South Africa struggles to find its new identity--and learn something about yourself at the same time.

History Notes
Racial discrimination was made legal with the creation of the apartheid laws in 1948. These laws touched every aspect of social life, including prohibition.

South Africa's history is rich in stories of valuable political figures. In fact, Pietermaritzburg, the town in which I studied, is where Ghandi got thrown off the train in his travels through South Africa. His fight for equality is remembered with a statue in the town square.

In the years since, South Africa has emerged from a major political makeover and is now showing its new face to the world. It's so exciting to be in the middle of a country that is enjoying a democratic government for the first time and is changing every day to introduce the past to the future.

The beginning of the end of the apartheid laws came in 1991 when President De Klerk abolished the remaining laws and called for the drafting of a new constitution, an act that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize two years later with civil rights legend Nelson Mandela.

In 1993 a multiracial, multiparty transitional government was approved, and the first fully free elections in South Africa's history were held in 1994. Nelson Mandela, backed by the African National Congress, became the country's first democratic leader.

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