South Africa summed up in one photo:

Coming down from Lion’s Head one evening after sunset, I saw this sight and immediately thought “THIS is precisely what my experience in South Africa has been.” I snapped this photo and have not altered it at all.

I literally could write 1000 words about this photo, but will try to be concise in my metaphor:
There is SO much beauty in this country, so many vivid colors, so much that is vibrant and bold. However, you can’t fully see this beauty without seeing the pain and struggle in this country at the same time. Seeing solely beyond the barbed wire is something that many tourists may be able to do, but having lived here for 4 months I wrestle with this wire everyday, though I will never fully understand all that lies within it.

So as I prepare to leave in just over a week, what I will take from this place is an appreciation for the striking, bold, and beautiful slew of contradictions that is, to me, South Africa.