Jet Lag is a horrible thing. Today, Day Two, I really felt it. This morning, most people were awake at 5:30 or 6, just because of the early bed time and the uncompassionate time zone. We went on a tour of Soweto, which stands for Southern Western Township. It’s a township that began because the Blacks couldn’t stay in the city of Johannesburg overnight, but worked in the day, but now it’s larger than Johannesburg. It was great to see the tour from the point of view of the guide, who was born and raised in Soweto, and I didn’t feel as much pity for the people. Just because they’re living in a situation that’s not as wealthy as mine, doesn’t mean that they can’t be as happy as (or probably even happier than) me. It’s amazing how economic status has been pounded into my head since birth as a direct factor of happiness, and after one day in a township, my world is turned on its head. This is probably the biggest thing I missed out on my last trip down here. I felt guilty upon returning because I had more than these people, but they don’t have any real reason to be jealous. Not saying I don’t believe in charity, but it’s already making me question the entire basis for not just America, but Capitalism as a whole.

Lunch was in a restaurant owned by the tour guide and it was really good! A mix of lamb, beef, chicken, and fish were complimented by rice, beans, and plenty of other things. Not American, so it was new, but it was delicious and not too foreign. After lunch was the Apartheid Museum, which was incredible. I had no idea how incredibly highly the South Africans thought of Nelson Mandela, but they practically worship him. And he is probably the most amazing person whose story I have ever heard. Look it up sometime, it’s good. Almost as good as Jesus.

The trip home was marked by me nodding off to sleep at least 25 times in the 30 minute drive, but waking up instantly with nowhere to lay my head. I fell asleep upon my return to the hotel at 5, and slept for 2 ½ hours. I thought I was the only one, but within 45 minutes of getting to the lobby, I found out Zach and Logan also overslept and we grabbed dinner together. The next 2 hours was essentially talking in the lobby among probably 10 of us, followed by push-ups and a shower. Now it’s 12:30, and I am not tired and have nothing to do. Tyler (roommate for now) has been asleep for like 7 hours, so he’ll be up for the day soon. I have no idea how he’s going to react tomorrow morning, but I’m sure he won’t be the only one who has difficulty.

On the bus I met Boba Phillip, who is one of our drivers at the AE (African Enterprise) in Pietermaritzburg. We talked about a bunch of stuff, including soccer (I now know the sign for the Orlando Pirates AND the Kaiser City Chiefs, and had a fun interaction with a construction worker when I gave him the Pirates sign). I was told by Taylor I needed to meet him, so I got on it early, and asked him if he remembered Taylor. Not only did he tell me his son, Musa, still talks about Taylor, but he told me Taylor played guitar at Phillip’s engagement to his wife, whom he just married in December. I thought I knew Taylor, but he continues to blow me away with ridiculous stories like this. Who would’ve thought?

Overall, a great day. I’m encouraged because I know I can actually make an impact on some people that they’ll remember for more than just a month or two, and because I know I can connect with a bunch of the people on this trip. I’m not tired and will be exhausted tomorrow, but we’ll arrive at the AE and finally, a sense of normalcy and permanency will be restored to my life after over 2 weeks of sleeping on the floor in a friend’s place and plane rides and hotel rooms. I can finally get started on what I’ve been looking forward to since I last went to South Africa.