community – Educators of Excellence Institutes

“Perfecting the Pivot”

August 3, 2025 - 2 Comments

Most days we are up and out with the sunrise, but this morning’s was especially breathtaking along the uMhlanga Promenade. With Whalebone Pier stretching out to our left and the iconic lighthouse to our right, we moved along the boardwalk surrounded by the quiet, vibrant rhythm of a winter Saturday, just north of Durban.

Whalebone Pier (left) and the uMhlanga Lighthouse (right).

People were fishing, biking, meditating, surfing, walking dogs, riding scooters, and joining small running groups or a larger 5K. What stood out most was the shared simplicity of it all: no one was in service of another. There were no purchases being made. Just people, side by side, embracing the beauty of a new day together.

A morning on the beach meant spectacular sunrises, time spent with new friends, and many dog sightings.

This trip is the first “Educators of Excellence” expedition in South Africa and today was an impressive feat of strategic maneuvers that would be the envy of the Springbok coaches, as we avoided FlySafair’s pilot strike and an 18 hour bus ride to Cape Town.

We are becoming experts at working as a team to move our group’s luggage.

Over the past two weeks, this blog has captured the incredible moments that have shaped us, making us more empathetic, more curious, and better global citizens. Behind it all are Christy and Emma, leading with organization, effort, patience, and kindness.

For us 14 participants, every day has felt seamless, full of adventure and discovery. But what often goes unseen is the immense work happening behind the scenes. Just this afternoon, Emma spent hours on the phone to rebook hotel rooms after our final Delta flight home was also delayed. From adjusting transportation and restaurant plans to managing unexpected changes, they’ve handled every challenge with calm and positivity.

Christy and Emma during group meeting in Cape Town.

(As we write this, it is past 11 pm and they are waiting on us so they can post this blog, and we still have an 8 am departure tomorrow!)

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca, a Roman philosopher.

As we started our day with a sunrise in Durban and ended it with a sunset in Cape Town, we’re filled with gratitude and sadness as we begin the end of our trip. We’re looking forward to tomorrow, where we can discover the natural beauty of the Cape of Good Hope, and of course, see the penguins!

It’s a privilege to be guided by Christy and Emma on this unforgettable journey.

Our view from the plane as we approached Cape Town – we are very excited to explore this area tomorrow!

South Africa

“Burnt Toast Theory”

July 31, 2025 - 2 Comments

Burnt toast theory states that minor inconveniences can turn out to be blessings in disguise, and today highlighted this for us.

This morning we started with a much more than minor inconvenience when we arrived to breakfast to find out that it was too windy to go whale watching. This was a bucket list item for almost every one of us, and when it was confirmed that we couldn’t go and that it couldn’t be rescheduled, there were actual tears for some of us. It felt like a major loss.

We pivoted like we have had to do several times on this trip, and went on a bird walk before heading to the beach instead. During our walk I kept waiting for something fun and magical to confirm that missing whales was worth it. And I couldn’t see it. Then we walked down to the beach, put our toes in the sand, collected shells, and tiptoed into the icy Indian Ocean.

How do you explore a new beach and ocean? Synchronized cartwheels in the sand!

Something we’ve noticed about this trip is that we are being required to slow down. Fast food isn’t what we’re used to. Chick-fil-A gets your meal to you with a “my pleasure” in less than 5 minutes. That’s not happening here, as it takes closer to 20. Restaurant service is even longer, and meals come 2-3 at a time. We find ourselves being impatient, trying to speed up processes. Then we talk about it with each other and realize how much we actually ENJOY slowing down. We ask ourselves what it would be like if we stopped rushing when we get home and if we didn’t put so much pressure on ourselves and each other.

Our time is quickly coming to an end and we are all feeling excited to see our families and homes. We are also feeling the pressure of life that awaits us. How can we find the balance of the calm we’ve found here with all that comes with returning home? We’ve watched South African sunrises and sunsets, taken long morning walks with giraffes and coffee, shared dinner with rhinos, and made memories with new friends. We have seen and felt so much here: joy, astonishment, love, fullness, and more that we can’t wait to take back to our families. When we go home we will be spread across the state, hours apart, no longer in dorm style bedrooms, sharing bathrooms and group dinners. We have met people who will now be our best friends, and now we will be apart.

Flavia, Michael, Christine, and Andrew on a windy St. Lucia beach.

Tonight’s sunset happened in the company of a hippo family. I think we can learn something about how to approach going home from them:

“Hippos, despite their size, offer subtle yet powerful lessons on embracing imperfection, finding peace in stillness, and maintaining healthy social bonds”.

Sunset with hippos in iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Three lessons were impressed upon us as we watched these graceful animals:

Embrace the mud and find comfort in imperfection. Hippos spend much of their time in mud, which represents the messy, imperfect parts of life.
Submerge yourself and find peace in stillness. Hippos are comfortable both in and out of the water, symbolizing the importance of finding moments of peace and quiet in our busy lives.
Know your people and make time with them. Celebrate and protect each other.

Our guides and drivers, Andrew and David, are leaving in the morning. Tonight we spent time reflecting on our highlights with each of them. At the end of the night Andrew said, “magic has happened here.” Each day in South Africa has been magic. We have been so blessed. We didn’t get to see whales today on the boat. But, we got to spend precious time slowing down together. Laughing, eating delicious food, and celebrating each other. We have just a few more days left before we get to bring this magic home. We can’t wait to slow down and share the sunrises and sunsets with you.

South Africa

“A Long Walk to Freedom”

July 30, 2025 - 0 Comments

“What counts is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”- Nelson Mandela

Sunrise at Thendele Camp in Royal Natal National Park.

We loaded the vans at 5 am. The stars were still shining bright in the sky and the sun hadn’t yet risen. We stepped back into history and up a steep 1km hike to visit the 800 year old San Rock Art Paintings in the Royal Natal National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The San people were nomadic hunters and gatherers, known for making poisonous arrows. They used bone, blood, and urine to make their paint colors. Their depictions were of animals in the region especially the eland, which had spiritual significance.

Listening to local guide Elijah share the history of the San people and their rock art paintings, which persist on sandstone cliffs after hundreds of years.

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – Nelson Mandela

We have had the privilege of traveling with a South African teacher, Zinhle Shabalala, and former teacher and local leader, Noma Shabalala. Their presence has given us an authentic experience, and inspired us to get out of our own comfort zones.

Noma and Zinhle at the Mandela Capture Site.

We spent the rest of the morning at Sakhile Centre, the local preschool where Zinhle teaches. The children and teachers welcomed us with songs in isiZulu and English and then included us in a traditional Gida dance. We purchased materials and collaborated on gardening and painting, including crafting murals for Zinhle’s classroom. Then we played and played and played with the children who freely shared joy with us through their giggles.

Zinhle with her students and fellow educators (left) and supervising mural progress (right).

The afternoon was a surreal transition to go from imagining the future to visiting the past as we visited the Mandela Capture Site Museum and learned about apartheid. There is nothing as powerful as experiential learning. Before we came on this life altering journey, part of our homework was reading or listening to Nelson Mandela‘s “Long Walk to Freedom.” It is one thing to read about history, it’s quite another to stand where Mandela stood on the site of his capture, which began his 27 years in prison. Through it all, he never lost his vision of unifying South Africa where all people are seen, heard and equally respected.

“There is more work to be done. It is time for new hands to lift the burden. It is in your hands now.” – Nelson Mandela

The culminating sculpture at the Mandela Capture Site.

All photos of children were taken and shared with permission.

South Africa

“The People are the Key”

July 27, 2025 - 0 Comments

You would think that a travel day where we drive 180 miles with a midday stop at a mall wouldn’t fuel a good blog… but our experiences today have been so impactful on us all. Our field guide, David, started our morning with a bird tour. It filled us with immense joy seeing him so enthusiastic and giddy as the sun slowly rose over the wetlands and brought the wild to life.

David in his element as he shares the birds of Wakkerstroom, his home town.

Best sightings of the morning were the blue cranes, South Africa’s endangered national bird. But a mob of meerkats who were trying to cross a busy road were the comedy crew. We watched eagerly as they raced towards the road, then abruptly stopped as one of them looked for a clear path across. Then a truck would come and they would scurry back to the mound before running back to the road to try again. Over and over this happened. We laughed so hard, and yet as they finally reached the other side, there was a sigh of relief and a testament to their perseverance.

Views from our morning birding adventures.

Wakkerstroom is David’s home; hearing his stories of buildings, people, and history not only gave us a sense of the local culture but also of the struggles and changes the people here have dealt with. It made us realize that our days at Kruger National Park didn’t fully immerse us in the full South Africa experience. There is poverty that challenges the daily lives of most of the people we saw today. Nelson Mandela said “poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.”

Here the actions are occurring, but they are slow. The hills of shanties overlooking the government housing pulled at our hearts as we saw people hand-carrying water from community sources in order to have water in their homes. Yet we also saw a field of children happily playing football and children dancing in their backyards. The biggest lesson from today and our time in South Africa so far is that life’s joys come mostly from relationships and friendships, not from material things. Meeting Noma and Zinhle, the South African educators who have joined us for this journey, as well as David and Andrew, our South African guides, we have felt the heart of South Africa. Their friendships and sharing of their cultures have connected us. This has been very special for all of us.

We have been commenting that nothing could exceed the incredible experiences we have had so far, yet each day this trip continues to surprise and deliver special life-changing moments. Ending our day was no exception. The Drakensberg Mountains rose before us and then enveloped us as we arrived at Royal Natal National Park. We were in awe of the towering rocks we will explore more thoroughly tomorrow, yet standing outside our lodging and breathing in the crisp mountain air, there is a peace and timelessness here that is unlike anything we have ever experienced. It is a place where you can feel the pulse of the Earth, the rhythm of life that has been playing out for millions of years. What a trip it’s been!