They say that home is where the heart is. I don’t think I have quite ever believed that until now.

It has been almost a month since we left Washington DC to come home to our lives, loved ones and our beloved country. As much as I knew I was going to miss DC, my host family and all of the new friends I had made, I was excited to come back to South Africa. Instead of being exhausted and jet-lagged, I came back to South Africa with more passion and fire than I could have ever imagined that I would. This programme and the DC experience has inspired so much change within my heart and mind. I honestly think that now I am a better person, a more motivated student, a more caring human being and a more patriotic South African.

I have to admit that I actually miss the fast-paced, adrenaline-packed, go-go-go! attitude of DC but then again, I have realised that I can create that here too. I look at every day as a new challenge packed with opportunities. I now look at every opportunity as a chance to better not just myself but my country.