Nicole on the oceans of Cape Town

I've come to find that Cape Town is a city of oceans. It is surrounded on one side by the Atlantic Ocean, an ocean that my entire life I have spent so much time swimming, wading, and playing in, but in a place so far away and so different from here. Being on this side of the Atlantic, definitely gives me a different perspective. Cape Town is also a city surrounded by an Ocean of Mountains. Towering over the city is the iconic Table Mountain, which I have come to appreciate, not just for its beauty, but for it's ability to ease me when I find myself in unfamiliar territory. It is as if its presence is to protect and guide those who might have lost their way. Yet another Ocean that surrounds this place is the Ocean of Poverty that lies on the outskirts of the city. This ocean is made up of townships, make-shift "housing", and people that live in conditions that I could have never in my wildest dreams imagined. It's amazing how the city takes completely separate forms, depending on which ocean you spend your day in. However, although all these Oceans are large and great, there is another ocean that is deeper and more powerful than all the others combined; an Ocean of Hope. Hope; that fills the hearts and souls of all the people that live in Cape Town. Although each life may be uniquely different, when it comes to power, race, or wealth; each Capetonian is equal in the fact that they all call this City of Oceans home. I've never before witnessed such hope for the future, especially from people who, from my eyes, seem to have so little to look forward to. There is definitely a lesson to be learned from this place, and I consider myself so blessed to be here, to witness and experience the power of Cape Town first hand.