Dawson Moll ’17, Entertainment Editor
It is crazy how diverse our planet is. There are countless species all around us and every single one of them have very unique attributes. Even in the human species alone, everyone is distinct from one another. Across the globe, people live very different lifestyles every day and sometimes we neglect to even think about them.
One student from South Lyon High School had the unique opportunity to travel to a very foreign area. Senior Gareth Larsson recently returned from his three-week trip to South Africa.
One thing that Larsson noted immediately was the difference in the air. He said that there were many ‘citrus’ smells that he had never encountered before. There was also a lot of very warm winds, which made it much more humid, but the heat was not enough to stop Larsson from exploring his birthplace.
Larsson was born in South Africa and moved to the United States at a young age. He was there visiting family and while he was there, he stayed with his Uncle Philip in Port Elizabeth.
He also said that the food there was much better than here. “Everything was so fresh because it all came from local farms and fishermen daily,” Larsson said of the food in the local market.
Larsson was able to go on some amazing adventures throughout his visit. He climbed mount Hildaberg, explored the Cango caves and was even able to go bungee jumping off of the Blue Cranes Bridge.
Larsson had some interesting encounters with nature while he was on his adventures. He visited a few zoos, including the Cango Park Zoo where he was actually able to go inside of a pen with a live cheetah. “It was the coolest, yet scariest moment of my life,” Larsson said of the experience.
During his down time, Larsson really enjoyed being able to play blackjack with his family and also go to several chocolate and cheese tasting events.
Larsson explained how much he loved being able to see how people outside of the United States lived their lives. Even though his travels are over for now, he cannot wait to go back and visit South Africa again next March to see his cousin get married and maybe find some more places to explore.
Not everyone has the opportunity to travel the world right in front of them, but that is why you should look for alternative ways to explore. There are countless chances to go all around the globe through volunteering, working overseas, or even studying abroad. If you really want the chance to have an adventure like Larsson’s, then you have to take that first step. Otherwise, you will just be stuck in South Lyon your entire life, and who really wants that?
Lyon Life 