Author: Alexander Owens

In Africa, people view life much differently. They see time as much longer and more gradual. Africans recognize the important fact that the Earth is ancient and our time on this planet is short. As such, we should not fret about much as it does not really matter in the long run. We will all soon be gone. Keeping that in mind, what we value in America is then rather trivial, money that is. Once you realize that it is a man-made artificial construction that’s only valuable because everyone else values it, money becomes inconsequential at a bird’s eye view. The idea that everyone should reach for the nice car, house, or trophy wife is then found to actually be full of hot air. Further, I found this to put…

Background Information Over summer 2017, I embarked on a trip to Africa. For the first portion of the journey, I did a study abroad program in Kenya from June 30 to August 4. From August 4 to August 26, I was on my own. During the Kenya program, I learned about topics such as paleontology, paleoanthropology, geology, and ecology. I met with pastoralists such as the Dasanege in the Turkana Basin and I hunted for fossils at Buluk, Africa’s oldest great ape site. From August 4-12, I was in Nairobi and Mombasa, partying with friends and swimming in the Indian Ocean. After August 12, I took a flight to South Africa. There I experienced the Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg night life, Art Museums, Sterkfontein Caves, Maropeng, Balule Reserve, Kruger National Park,…