Once upon a time in SA
South Africa. The name itself evokes a vibrant image, doesn't it? Maybe for you, it's just another place on a map. But for me, it's sunshine that warms your soul, friendly faces that become family, and a way of life unlike anywhere else.
Perhaps you haven't heard of its unique charm: three capital cities, a constant spring in the air, kids barefoot and carefree. Imagine evenings spent braaiing under the stars, the savory scent of biltong filling the air, and lazy mornings with coffee on a balcony fit for royalty (or at least, people who appreciate a bit of space!).
Maybe Bedfordview, Eastgate, Pick n Pay, Maxi's, Kauai, or Spur aren't familiar names. Maybe you haven't shared laughter over a plate of prawns drizzled with lemon butter. These experiences, these details, are the threads woven into the fabric of my love for South Africa. They're not the only way to experience the country, but they're a part of what makes it special to me.
Words can't capture the feeling of belonging, the warmth of a community. There's a bittersweet ache in my heart when nostalgia washes over me. South Africa was, and still is, a vibrant paradise.
Sure, there's another side to Africa – a side of hardship and struggle. But that's true of any place, isn't it? South Africa, for all its complexities, was perfect for me. And someday, I dream of returning.
I long to walk those familiar streets again, to breathe in the sights and smells that linger in my memory. To soak up the sunshine and listen to the echoes of laughter, the voices of friends and family that filled my days with joy.
Yes, I miss it fiercely. It's a yearning that may never fully fade. But that doesn't diminish the beauty of other experiences, other places held dear by others. This is simply my love letter to South Africa, a land that forever holds a piece of my heart.
You might as well go: meh, so what, I also live wherever and never felt like boasting around about it. So what, we've all been to places that we wish we could go to again, so what....
So what? Are you kidding me? Haven't you heard (read)it literally?
It's S.O.U.T.H freaking A.F.R.I.C.A!
If you've never been a soccer players wife of a team that was like a family to its members, if you've never lived in Bedfordview, if Eastgate, Pick'n Pay, Maxi's, Kauai, Spur aren't familiar names, if you've never eaten prawns with lemon butter- don't say that one shouldn't be so nostalgic, you don't know!
You just don't have a clue. You have no idea! There are no words to explain it; it's felt, it's not put into words. Words are incapable of expressing that.
Man, do I miss this place!
Lord! Do I cry every now and then, when nostalgy floods my mind and soul and there seems no way to escape this tidal wave.
Beautiful it was, paradise on Earth: morning skies with plenty of sunshine reaching you straight to the core, evergreen surroundings beautifully taken care of, children playing and giggling around and that weird feeling of being in the paradise already when clearly being alive 100 percent and..
You might've seen other side of Africa too: the stealing, murdering, looting, racial tension side of it. The storm, lightning and hail side of it, the nasty side of it. But hey, nobody said it was perfect for everyone. It just was so perfect for me!
It still is! Oh boy do I hope to go back some day!
I would stroll around its beautiful streets just to breath in all the sights and smells that I left there and still are dear to my heart! I'd walk around just to take in all the sunshine coming my way. I'd listen with awe to every single sound of Gabriel's, Griseld's, Vuce's, Ognen's, Lerato's, Umolemo's, Alessio's voices playing with my dearest kids, their laughter, their stupid jokes, their fooling around...
Yeah, I miss it to the point that it hurts... and you don't know, you'll never know... honestly!
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