By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
Growing up on a family that worries more about making money than experiencing the world, it’s quite repressing and sad. When I turned 17, I was on my last year in high school, deciding what to do next. My dream once was to become a doctor, but then I remember I would be turning just like one of my relatives and I wanted to be different. For my luck, I changed my mind right on my deadline. I threw a tantrum and decided I wanted to get out of my country. My mother was pissed, my brothers were against. I almost made a hunger strike, I’m glad it didn’t get to that. Next thing I knew, I was traveling to Cape Town. It wasn’t that far from home, but it was huge for me. I got to see for the first time the Atlantic Ocean, feel the cold waters that could freeze my brain, meet new people with different ethnicity than mine, speak a new language that I barely knew and feel a different breeze on my face. It was magical! One thing you need to know about me, I’m super shy! But once there, I became I completely new person. I was talkative, light, and not afraid to step out of my comfort zone. The city vibe helped a lot! It was an adventure every day, different bar every evening. I went to Long Street a few times, but the first time, I went to every bar there. I would spend a few minutes and drinking ZAR5 shots, and by the end of the street, I was dancing on the table! The next night, a friend took me to a club on the 31st floor of a building, and the view just amazed me! I could see the entire city, all the lights, and the buildings around, the Table Mountain’s tablecloth… I never felt so happy like I did that night. And the weekend wasn’t over! Cape Town has a lot to see and try… And this time, we went to the beach. Not just Camps Bay (which is also amazing), we went further down. I saw the penguins on their natural habitat, I got to feed them and take pictures. Then, I saw the dolphins swimming like they don’t have a care in the world. They came closer and it was the first time I got to pet one, hear them smile and give them some fish. When the sun was coming down, we went to Signal Hill. We saw the majestic sunset while laying on the floor. We had wine and pizza on top of the hill, laughing and chatting, realizing how beautiful the world really is. When it was dark, we stayed there for a little longer and we could see the traffic lights changing, red, yellow and green… And the street lamps were forming patterns that looked like animals! I don’t know if it was the wine or I really saw an elephant… but the point is, at that moment, I was in peace with the decision I made. I left everything behind, my family and friends, to find out who I really am. I’m 30 now and I don’t regret a thing.