KBKaren BreitkreuzOff-the-route trips to South Africa, Belize and Europe

Penguin, College Chaos, and Cannonballing Adventures! #shorts

13 Sept 2026 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:38

In this short, the narrator recounts a memorable group van trip with about twenty college students traveling down the Cape Peninsula south of Cape Town. He describes the typical chaos of a large student group—loud playlists, snack battles, late arrivals, and the logistical challenge of getting everyone back into the van, which they manage with a number‑system check. The trip’s highlight is a stop at Wit Sand (White Sand), where the group instantly dives into the water, snaps photos, eats local snacks, and shops for souvenirs, embodying a “cannonball” style of travel. The narrator reflects on the contagious excitement of seeing the world through 20‑year‑old eyes and suggests that more people should adopt this spontaneous, immersive travel approach.

Chapters

I'll tell you how I got this shot, but to understand why it matters, you need to meet the van. Picture this: me, a few years back, packed into a van loaded with college students. I would say there was about 20 people altogether. We were heading down the Cape Peninsula south of Cape Town. If you've ever done a group trip, you know the deal. Somebody's playlist is too loud. Somebody's already eaten the snacks, somebody is always late, and every stop takes about 20 minutes longer than planned because getting everybody back into the van is like herding cats. My group used a number system to ensure all the participants were present before the doors closed. To be honest, I loved every minute of it. There's something about seeing the world through 20-year-old eyes. Everything is exciting. Everything is the best they've ever seen. It's contagious. Our first real stop that morning was at Wit Sand, or White Sand, and it earns the name. This was the moment the day shifted from drive to adventure. Everyone piled out of the van, shoes came off, and within about 90 seconds, some of the group was in the water, some were taking photos, some were already eating the delicious local snack, and the rest were shopping for tourist memories and souvenirs. That's the thing about traveling with students. They don't ease into a place, they cannonball into it. More of us should travel that way. Those were the good days.