And the countdown begins...

By Andre Smith

Since my last blog I had just settled in my own apartment and working through the busy summer season.

I have meanwhile been back home to South Africa for two weeks to attend to an urgent family matter. It was a long trip and a route I had not taken before via Amsterdam and then direct over Africa to Cape Town. The day was so clear that I had a birds eye view over the Sahara Desert which was spectacular to see the dunes and deep red color of the sands.

After 30 hours of travel, I finally arrived in Cape Town and was met by good friends and whisked away to dinner at Madame Zingara’s Theatre of Dreams, which was being hosted at the V&A Waterfront. Overall it was good to go home and spend time with the family, but I realized just how much being in the US is feeling more like my home.

Upon my return it was straight back to work and planning for our big mid-season party, which we just held this past weekend. The theme was based around the famous Studio 54 nightclub and the disco era. It was a fun event with lots of mirror balls, Afro wigs, dodgy moustaches and a ton of kitsch. 

Moving forward we are in the process of planning for the forthcoming season and the new interns that will be arriving from South Africa, Ireland and Austria. I’ve been following everyone’s updates on the Workaway International Facebook page and the interview process. Having worked for Workaway it has been great to see the interaction and comradery on the Facebook page as well as all the excitement around the interview process with the country clubs. My club has just been to all three countries and made the selections for the season.

To those of you that have been selected we look forward to seeing you in Florida. I know that it is a tough process to go through, but will be well worth it. It’s going to be hard work, but there will be a lot of time for fun and an experience of a lifetime!