April 27, 2013
Shortly after moving in, M and I had the opportunity to go away for a long weekend (gorgeous weather combined with a public holiday seemed like the perfect combination). We contemplated whether we should be practical and stay in town to set up our new place, or pack up and leave town for a few days, in the midst of chaos. In the end, the practical side lost. What ultimately tipped the scale was that one of our main goals of being here is to see, do and experience as much as we possibly can, and that triumphed over the need for furniture, groceries and cleaning supplies.
M is not much for formally writing down goals, but we've talked a lot about what we want to get out of this experience, and I think it's worth putting pen to paper. In no particular order, here is our draft list:
1. Travel. Start with the obvious one. For South Africa, we want to see all 13 areas within SA (9 provinces, 2 countries and 2 regions) by doing as many mini explorations as we can. We also want to do a couple of larger trips, to see some of the other countries in southern Africa.
2. Community involvement. While we are not sure what this will look like yet, we both are passionate about finding a way to give back while we are here. Despite the fact that Joburg is a very progressive city, South Africa is still considered a developing country, and there is a stark reality in this country that reminds us of that. We want to do something.
2. Community involvement. While we are not sure what this will look like yet, we both are passionate about finding a way to give back while we are here. Despite the fact that Joburg is a very progressive city, South Africa is still considered a developing country, and there is a stark reality in this country that reminds us of that. We want to do something.
3. Finding a way for M to be engaged and inspired for the next two years. We moved here with my job, so he will be looking for something (in the form of work, studies, volunteer, etc) to make the most of his time here.
4. SA Road Race. I want to participate in a race while we're here.
5. No TV. Since we don't have one, this should be relatively easy.
6. Join local clubs/teams. One piece of advice we were given before we moved here was to really set up our lives here and integrate as much as possible; this seems like a good way for us to do that.
7. Embrace the local way of life: spend a lot of time outside/in our garden and learn to braai. Yes please.
8. Document the experience: through photos, blogs, etc. to have a way to look back and also a way to share this experience with our friends and family back home.
Here are some snapshots of our trip to Durbs:
View from Zimbali, UShaka Beach and the Golden Mile promenade
Valley of a Thousand Hills
View of the valley from Inchanga
Umhlanga Rocks
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