Sum it up!

So. I've been here for 6 years now. On and off. Probably spent around 2,5 year here all together. I know some people wonder how, when, where, why.
here is a short summary:

2008: 
I came here in february for a 2 months internship. I was studying social work in Sweden. I was working at the big soup kitchen in town and at a home of safety for teenage boys. At the Soup Kitchen I met John, he was running the soup kitchen at the moment. He is still my friend and he is helping me with placing a lot of the volunteers now, for different projects. I did a home stay in Athlone with an old lady and another swedish girl, Irina, from Stockholm. I spent a lot of time in Ahtlone, Belgravia, Bridgetown and those areas. Hangning out with the people from there. Lots of Braais and home parties. Sometimes Long Street and sometimes Galaxy. I did not go up on Table Mountain.

2009: 
Went back in march for 6 weeks with Rebecca from Gothenburg. Met her in 2008, she was volunteering with the same company as me. We stayed in Belgravia, Athlone, again at the house she stayed in when she was here in 2008. I was helping out in the Soup kitchen again and also went with John to the township in Phumlani. The township I'm still working a lot in!
I did not go up on Table Mountain.

2009/2010: 
I won a trip! I won a volunteer trip for 2 months, including flight ticket, accommodation and food! Crazy. It was through a competition online for a coffee company..
I went in december 2009-february 2010.
I was thinking of going somewhere else, but I did miss South Africa so much and I felt like that was the right thing to do! I stayed in Observatory, in a volunteer house. I shared room with Nina, from Switzerland that today is one of my best and closest friends. We wnt to Brazil together in 2011. I also shared house with Gee, who is still in Cape Town and a really great friend. I was volunteering at the soup kitchen, and also did a lot of my own things with the street kids, like going to the beach etc. Was helping John with a lot of things. This was also the time when I met Dina for the first time. Dina from Umeå that I later started the Volunteer program for Southern Ambition with.
I did not go up on Table Mountain.

2012: 
March:
I got a message from Dina at facebook. Me and Dina had not been talking a lot. But she saw that I posted on facebook that I missed Cape Town. We talked and decided to go back, for 5 weeks in march. We stayed at her friends house in Plumstead. It was a lot of pool hang outs at the house, some nights at long street. Once again I was working a lot with John in Phumlani. I also had about 10 000 rand donation money (from friends and family) with me and with that I fixed toilets, showers and some other things for the shelter John runs in Salt River.
This is when I first met Moses and Southern Ambition. Dina knew them from the last time she was here. We started to randomly talk about starting a volunteer/internship program...
Oh... and me and Dina hiked Table mountain, up AND down :)

September: 
Me, Dina and Moses started to talk about starting a volunteer and internship program via Southern Ambition. Moses asked me to come and work for him, to try six months and see how it would go. So, in one week I quit my job, got rid of my flat and booked a flight to Cape Town. During may - august me and Dina tried to get people interested and to book volunteer trips. Success!

Since then I've been here, except for the 3 months I went home to Sweden in june-aug 2013.

And. This is home. More home than Sweden in many ways. I miss my family a lot. And summer in sweden. But that is like 3 months of the year... So no, I prefer Cape Town.
What I fell in love with here?
* The people. Warm, happy, social, easy going and very friendly.
* The nature. Mountains, ocean, forests and a big city in the middle is for sure the most beautiful mix.
* The Food. All the food tastes amazing here. And it's cheap.
* The children. Of course. All the children and people I'm working with are a big part of my life
* The culture/art life. Music, art, comedy, workshops, you name it. There are things going on all the time.
* African time. Even its VERY irritating sometimes, it's more great things coming out of it than bad. I don't stress anymore. I can relax. It's ok to be a little late. It's ok to not be perfect all the time. It's ok to fuck up. Everything is gonna be ok. Hakuna Matata.
* The weather. I prefer 8 months summer and 4 months winter than the opposite!
* The non superficial way of looking at people. People are crazy. Personal. Different. Everyone I know is VERY different from anyone. But we are still hanging out together. No "groups" at all. Just random. I am always my self here and I love it. No judgemental feelings!