Architecture is, and always has been, one of my foremost passions. As my undergraduate studies were coming to a close in the spring in 2009, I struggled with the decision of whether or not to postpone graduate school for real-life work experience. In the midst of my growing indecision, it was perhaps fate that led me to Connect-123’s website late one sleepless night in studio, as I randomly searched the terms “architecture” and “internship.” After visiting the Connect website repeatedly over the course of the next week, my indecision fell victim to a growing sense of excitement as I imagined my life on the Mother continent. And the rest, as they say, is history.

For eight months, I interned with an architecture firm in the heart of Cape Town’s city bowl, a stone’s throw from my comfortable apartment in Perspectives. The firm specialized in ecological design – specifically, ecologically friendly green building with a focus on the use of local, natural, non-toxic and recycled building materials. I was exposed to numerous alternative building methods: straw-bale, thatch, sand bag, and compressed-earth building systems. The principal architect of the firm, a recipient of numerous accolades from both North American and South African design institutions, took me under his wing for the duration of my internship and made me feel as though I was a valued member of the design team. I was given real responsibility in my day-to-day work and had the opportunity to accompany my fellow colleagues to site inspections, client meetings, lectures, tours and building sites, not only in Cape Town, but also in various locales across the Western and Northern Cape provinces.

Outside of my rewarding internship experience, I was able to experience the best of the Western Cape’s natural beauty, stunning landscapes and vibrant cultural scene: hikes up Table Mountain and Lion’s Head; tours of the picturesque winelands of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek; day-trips to Cape Point, Fish Hoek, Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and outlying townships; nights out experiencing Cape Town’s vibrant club and bar scene; multiple road trips with my fellow interns to a weekend music festival (Rocking the Daisies) and a five-day excursion along the breathtakingly beautiful Garden Route… my list of experiences is infinite! I was also fortunate enough to venture off to a few far-flung locations: a rafting trip on the Orange River in Namibia; a weekend in Zimbabwe and Zambia sleeping on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River; a safari in Kruger National Park; and weekends in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Durban (where I caught my first wave!)

To anyone considering an internship through Connect-123, I highly recommend it. You will meet people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe who will make lasting, lifelong impressions on your life.

Go forth and explore all this world has to offer!