I won’t even try to apologize; you guys know me so well that you probably aren’t even surprised that it’s literally been months since I posted an actual updating post—not including my B-Tay post and all of the book reviews. Oops! I guess if you’ve been following my blog for the past while, you almost definitely know how finicky my posting schedule is, and how I love to post but school is the bane of my existence and academic validation is the object of all my desires (my fav line from Bridgerton). So, you really shouldn’t be surprised by my tardiness and childlike inability to keep my promise of posting regularly. It’s really your fault I haven’t posted in so long. Gaslighting? Check!
Anyway, back to business, I have a few updates about the past four (five?) months. After Cambridge Prep, which I believe was my last experience, I flew to the US for my family’s regular summer visiting and traveling time. I saw family and friends, went camping, and had a pretty regular and fun summer back there. Then, my sister, parents, and I all flew back to SA for the beginning of my 9th-grade year!!
It’s been so exciting starting high school, and I love all my classes…most of the time. As we know, I’m very centered and stressed about school, even when things don’t seem that stressful. I’m self-aware enough to know that I tend to panic or freak out if a deadline for an assignment is getting dangerously close and I don’t feel at all secure in my project. Although, this fear and stress are pretty unfounded; I almost always get my assignments in on time and in a form that is satisfactory. However, the added stress of finally being in high school has kind of exacerbated this stress.
Either way, I made it through my first semester intact, and with a few other interesting extracurricular happenings. I had my dance assessments (talk about stress—yeesh!) about a month ago, and I think those went fairly well. Again, in my self-aware fashion, I know that I’m definitely not near the top of my class in dance, and that’s fine. I only started a year ago, and I’m not naturally gifted. I’m just really grateful I was given the opportunity to make friends and grow in my dance abilities. My assessments went fine and now I’ve left the program.
Similarly, I ended my school semester (for the most part) at the beginning of December, and since then, I’ve had a really cool experience! On the 4th, I went to a volunteer program in Kwa-Zulu Natal, which is a province in the eastern part of South Africa. I went for a week to volunteer on a game reserve that was creating a summer program for the kids to teach them about animals and conservation. It was so much fun to interact with the kids, see the animals, and just spend time on a game reserve. I loved it!
Cleo also accompanied me there and volunteered with me, and we traveled back to Cape Town on the 10th. When we got there, we immediately began hosting and vacationing with our grandparents, who had arrived from the US the same day. Since then, we’ve been basically day-tripping all over the city and the surrounding towns, including vineyards and a few days in Kommetjie at the house. It was super fun hanging out and having a small early Christmas with my grandparents, but we all know that there is a certain time limit we all feel the effects of when with family if you know what I mean *raise eyebrows cause I’m petty*.
My grandparents left on the 18th, and we had a quick breather for a day before my sister arrived last night. She’s staying for a quiet Christmas with us, which I’m more excited about than I thought I would be. I know, can you imagine it? Me, excited for a family-focused holiday that involves stressful planning of presents, clothing, and food, as well as a long night of consuming alcoholic beverages and socializing. The sky must be falling! But, in reality, even though we are planning presents, food, and semi-nice clothing attire, I think it’s going to be a quiet Christmas, mostly because it’s just the five of us.
Anyway, hope you all are having a lovely holiday break and living it up wherever you are; whether rain or shine, it’s still Holiday Season, baby!! I really love Christmas, if you couldn’t already tell. Oh, I forgot to tell you, guys! My grandparents got me T Swift merch!? Agh, I love it so much. They got me a “Taylor’s Version”, a Red (TV) sweatshirt, and a Red ring!! I can’t believe it and I love them!
Bye, guys! Happy Holidays