From saying goodbye to friends and teachers at school, to a freezing cold Heathrow airport. We had landed in Johannesburg, where we were warmly greeted by Mr Robey (Head of Cricket) as he met Mr Hamilton, Tom and I (Jenson) at the airport. The first thing all of us noticed and joked about was how hot it was! As we arrived in the school grounds, we were reunited with some of the St Benedict’s sports teachers who we had met in past years from the exchange, having that connection with them has definitely helped in making the visit less daunting.
That being said, every new teacher or member of staff we have met has made us feel welcome and a part of the college and boarding house. On the topic of the boarding house, we were met with nothing but respect and warm greetings from all pupils ranging from all year groups. You will never fall short of laughter, fun or brotherhood in the house, and one thing Tom and I found very clear around the whole college was the levels of respect pupils show to peers. I have managed to average around 11 and a half thousand steps since arriving and this is due to the immense weekly sporting calendar. I have been a part of many cricket training sessions with the colleges first team, played 2 Saturday cricket fixtures and one Wednesday fixture (with some being cancelled due to lightning and rain!) I have also been able to join with the rugby preseason and been able to utilise the schools amazing gym facilities multiple times.
From making new connections with people, to trying new foods and experiencing new cultures such as war cry practice and religious masses. These first two weeks have been an amazing experience for both Tom and I.
