“Live Out Loud” By: Melissa Guidry

My three-word shout out “Live Out Loud” has been my theme this entire trip, to do everything possible with not regrets. Well today was no exception on our visit to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. I kept pushing my boundaries and took risk, like scaling the side of a cliff to get to a point I wanted to go, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed the moment as much if I hadn’t.
The view was indescribable. My camera could never truly capture the beauty of this land. So instead of focusing on what my camera couldn’t do, I did what I could: enjoy the moment and the beauty surrounding me.

We even saw penguins today and had a close encounter with an ostrich! But the real treats were the baboons! Our first encounter, several baboons took the leisure of relaxing… on the middle of the road! My second encounter was at Cape Point when I was returning to the bus. I had just bought a can of soda, and the cashier told me to hide my can because the baboons love soda. I thought nothing of it until I saw a baboon grab on to Samantha as she walked by! They were so entertaining.

So, in my every attempt to live out loud, I try to live out what I think would be fun… fyi they really are fun. I try to not focus on what’s to be put on facebook but what’s right in front of me. And I try to make the best of every situation by exploring all the possibilities that can exist.
I have no regrets of “I wish I would have done that”, and I can only hope the other people on this trip are doing the same because this—being in amazing Cape Town, South Africa with 100 other students—we will never experience again. I almost can’t believe this experience is real and already half way done.

So thanks Global LEAD for the amazing time so far, I look forward to the next half being just as incredible.