My sitting spot this week is the roof in my dorm. I chose this location because it is quiet and I get a nice view of the city. It is very hot outside, as it is currently summer here. The average temperature that has been happening is around 80 degrees every day. The sun is beating down on me as I sit here, but I would rather have sunshine than snow.

I am writing this while load-shedding is currently happening. For those of you who do not know what load shedding is, it refers to power outages that occur in South Africa. Load shedding happens because the electric company here cannot supply electricity to the entire population. It can occur for a few hours or a long time, depending on the level at which it is happening. Some apps tell you when it is going to hit your area, so it is surprising when it occurs.

What made this spot interesting was seeing that life does not stop because of load-shedding. Everyone continues their day. You see cars driving around, people shopping at stores, and everything in between. I was thinking about how people adapt to changes due to the environment. The electrical issue is not just a simple fix but a very complex one. Power outages began occurring in 2007. When I was initially told about power outages, I was worried about how I would charge my phone or my laptop, but all of those worries went away. Now, when load-shedding happens, I get out of my room and go hang out with friends. It’s a good time to explore the city and be off my phone. It is a good break for me because I’m not worried about the emails that I should be sending to people or looking at social media. I’m simply living in the moment which I am definitely appreciating here!