I just thought I’d drop a few lines to tell you I haven’t vanished from the face of the Earth, but my family and I are on home leave in the U.S., enjoying a hot and humid summer and the company of good old friends. South Africa seems far, far away. But I do miss it. I miss the cool crisp mornings with the promise of another beautiful day in the air; the wide toothy (and toothless) smiles of people asking how I’m doing today; the dramatic landscapes of the highveld dotted with short stubby trees; the beautiful lilt of South African English; the birdsong concerts in the early morning. And I miss the slower pace of life in general.
On the other hand, here are the things I absolutely LOVE here in the U.S.A.:
- Water fountains and free ice water pretty much everywhere
- Baseball (even the Royals)
- You won’t believe this, but the hot and humid weather
- Pee warm lake water you can hang out in all day
- The sound of crickets
- Turning on red
- Hawker-free intersections (although I have to say they do kind of grow on you)
- Parking anywhere I want, without an attendant waving from behind me who I’m afraid I’ll run over
- Plastic money (I came without a dime in cash and haven’t needed any, zip, nada – Amex all the way)
- Wide open highways
- The ability to buy anything I can dream of at any time of day or night
- More specifically, shopping at Target
- Our president (pre-2016, that is)
- Our group of wonderful friends