Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become. -Anonymous
Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one. — Marianne Williamson
Change is a constant in life. I changed after graduating high school. I changed after moving to Missoula for college. I changed when I moved to South Africa to study abroad for a year. I changed when I became a wife. I changed through my experiences working for Projects Abroad in Cape Town. I certainly changed when I became a mother. Change is a good thing, I've always embraced it and craved it, while still fearing it in the same breath.
The past five years in South Africa have been life changing, an experience and memories that will last forever. It's become a second home, a comfortable and lovely lifestyle that we will always cherish. As we've been told in the past, Africa is in now in our blood.
We are embracing change and have made the decision to end this chapter in our lives and move on our next adventure. We are ready to be closer to our family and friends, return to our home country and give Sophiya the relationship with her grandparents and extended family that she needs. It was a difficult decision to make and one that we've weighed for quite some time now.
A piece of our hearts will always be in Cape Town. Dana and I's marriage, our bond to one another for life was made on Kommetjie Beach. Our most precious gift was born and spent her first year and a half of life here. We've created a volunteer program that will make an impact on local communities for years to come.
We are going to miss so much here. We will miss South Africa everyday. We will miss our friends dearly, they have become like family to us during our time here. They embraced us with the loving, warm African spirit of 'ubuntu'. We are going to miss the unparalleled beauty of this country, the dramatic coastlines, the jagged mountain ranges, the bright colored flora, rustic vineyards with history poured in each glass of wine and endless days of bright sunny blue skies. We are going to miss the friendly smiles of strangers, the inherent rhythm and music in the air, the relaxed culture of daily life.
There are also things we won't miss here. We won't miss living behind burglar bars and alarms, looking over our shoulders and worrying about safety/security day in and day out. We won't miss the ever present wealth disparity, where the rich and poor live across the street from one another. We won't miss the poverty alongside our own feelings of guilt and daily horrific news headlines.
Our plan isn't completely defined yet, which is scary and exciting at the same time. This is yet another lesson for me to "let go" and let things fall into place, which is what will happen eventually. We are looking to live and work in the West Coast, California, Seattle or Oregon, and so far there are a few leads for Dana and we still have a few months until the official move (end Aug).
Aside from this massive event forthcoming in our lives, our little one is also growing and changing by the day! Sophiya is such a little girlie girl, she loves to try on my jewelry and play with my makeup. I swear, if I need a few minutes to get ready in the morning I can give her my necklace collection and my powder brush and she'll stay contently occupied (not always an easy task).
She is full of spunk and energy, keeping us so busy!! She is learning what sound each animal makes slowly such as a cow, lion and dog. She can basically understand everything we say to her now, even though she can't quite respond yet! She is babbling in her own language, picking up words here and there, which we are trying to decipher. Her newest are "apple" and "backpack".
I've always been a bit of a picky eater, and now I am getting a taste of my own medicine with Sophiya. She has a very particular taste and from what I can see, she is a bit of a gourmet preferring olives, ostrich fillets, pate and pesto. She is very opposite to me in that she LOVES meat, something I don't eat much of at all! Both her and Dad will miss droewors and biltong back in the US!
She is learning all the different parts of the body and it's amazing how quickly she picks up on each word. The other one that I was sure to teach her was "Where is your Smile?" which is particularly useful for photo shoots like those above.
We are thrilled about our decision to return home and can't wait to see friends and family back home. We'll keep you updated on all the exciting upcoming news. Much love to you all.
