Meredith's realizations since she's returned.

That place changed me.  I could never be the same and I never want to be the same.  I constantly find myself thinking about Africa and telling stories that people won’t really understand and it isn’t anyone’s fault.  I have learned to accept the fact that South Africa was the biggest part of my life but cannot be fully shared.  Even the twelve of us on the trip had completely different experiences, how could someone from America possibly understand it?  

At first being back that was a incredibly empty feeling in my stomach.  No one will ever understand.  I’m not exactly sure why I had this outrageous fantasy in my head that I will get back from Cape Town and share my experiences with my loved ones and it will just click for everyone here.  As if I could seriously make everyone say “Wow! I want to change the world now” based on my stories? Seriously wishful thinking.  

What I did realize since being back though is that you can’t change the world all in one day.  It is a process in which every little thing helps and works.  You have to keep trying and fighting and slowly

you will get through the people.  A few people in my life who I love have very different views from me on many things.  Especially after coming back from South Africa where my views have been incredibly magnified from first hand experiences.  When first coming back, it was hard to hear that those

that I love have completely different views that me on certain issues.  In fact based on my personality type, I even got incredibly offended by certain things.  I don’t mean to sound conceded or anything, I just could not understand how people felt that way.  

What I realized after being home for a few months though was that everyone will have different opinions on different things based on what they have gone through, grew up with, or what kind of person they are.  Sure, most of the people I had debates with still believe what they are going to want to believe.  But what I know for sure is that I made them think.  And you know what else, those people made me think.  Maybe I didn’t have the “eureka!” impact I was hoping I could have on people, but I do know that I 

started turning those gears in there minds.