I had a conversation with my parents tonight, and because I have one of those special - turn every moment into quality family time - kind of moms, she started the conversation by posing my husband and I some thought provoking questions about our pending trip. We were actually on our way to one of the many "last" events we'll be sharing in SA over the next 4 days, an evening we've shared with the members of my immediate family almost every week over the last 4 years - we call it Family Dinner and in spite of it's sometimes corny atmosphere, it's marvelous! So tonight, being the momentus occassion that it was, mom began the quiz...and herein lay the inspiration for this posting.
We were asked what we would not miss about life here in SA so perhaps I'll start with that: For me personally, getting off the busy Johannesburg roads is going to be a highlight. I won't miss being the one my parents call when there has been a technological mess-up, nor will I miss living life in limbo as we have been for the better part of the last 6 months as we prepared for this trip. I will not miss being the only one of my friends not travelling the world right now, nor will I miss the stress of looking and keeping busy as is the trend in the Johannesburg Metroploitan lifetsyle.
However my list of things I will miss extends much, much longer that that...
I will miss watching my sister's children grow up and learn to walk and talk, I will miss doing my nails with my mom and talking late into the night even though it's work for her in the morning. I will miss some of the strange "one-liners" I have grown accustomed to hearing from my dad, and I will indeed miss Cadbury's chocolate - not even white rabbits can replace them.
I will also miss the heaps of Hollywood movies of which I am ashamed to admit - I am an avid fan; and on Monday nights when the rest of the world is comfortably positioned in front of their televisions for the 3rd season of Grey's Anatomy, think of me, for I will indeed miss Christina, Meredith and the gang.
And of course I will miss the usual: rugby (oh I hope they televize the world cup!), Sunday braai's and biltong. Speaking English, my smelly dog shads and family dinners. New traditions will have to be made.
And finally my mom finished with 2 more questions, "What am I most looking forward to and what's going to be the first thing I do when we land?"...Besides the shopping, and the cheap electronic equipment, and the fact that it's just the 2 of us for a while, I look forward to saying I'm there and we're doing it. I look forward to a fresh start and a clean slate, and of course making amazing memories to come home and tell all of you!
And following in the footsteps of my my grandparents who left SA early in the marriage for an adventure on the island of Tristan De Cune, upon landing in China I will (like my grandmother did) turn to my husband and just smile, because we're making our dreams come true together and that's all that really matters. And Kyle (like my grandfather) will, upon landing, turn to me and say..."I don't want to hear a peep out of you for 6 months!"
I'll let you know if that's really how it all works out X
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