Sunshine and I were on the train from Stuttgart, Germany, to Paris, France. She was getting more and more worried with each passing high-speed mile. In fact, she had become quieter and quieter over the course of three days. Every time one of my many relatives at our family reunion asked if she was ...
The Art of Travel, Part I: Temporarily Lost
I remember reading somewhere that it’s extremely difficult to build robots that resemble humans because it’s near impossible to teach them how to walk. We think walking is a fine-tuned process of moving our legs forward. But in reality – and this is what robots have trouble with – we simply ...
Moving Your Household Goods from the United States to Johannesburg
As you might remember, I have moved quite a bit. Seven times, to be exact. Some of these moves were across an ocean, some of them weren’t. And one of them involved just one suitcase and a bicycle, whereas most others involved 40-foot containers.
It’s those 40-foot container ones you ...
6 Reasons for Expats to Choose Johannesburg vs Cape Town
This blog post was inspired by a reader with a question about his upcoming move to South Africa. He knew Cape Town was more beautiful, he said, but perhaps his chances of finding employment were better in Johannesburg? If you are an expat moving to South Africa with a choice of Johannesburg vs Cape Town, read more to find out which factors to consider.
South Africa: Living in a “Sketchy” Country
In my 15-year old daughter's world, "sketchy" is the new word of the day. Sketchy is a catchall label for any situation that might be uncomfortable in the slightest. It makes me think of our life in South Africa, where a large portion of what happened to me can be defined as sketchy. Driving into the township of Alexandra to take home the baseball coach I had just met: Sketchy.
35 Essential Items to Bring Back from South Africa
Prompted by my husband's trip to South Africa I posted a request on the Joburg Expat Facebook page to list essential items to bring back from South Africa. I wanted to make sure he didn't forget anything. I got an overwhelming response in just a few hours. Everyone just typed what first came to their mind, and it turned into a list both useful and hilarious.
Greetings from a #Shithole Country
In light of recent comments by the American President about African countries and their people, here is a look at one of those African countries. South Africans possess many unique attributes that we should welcome in any immigrant, if he or she even chooses to leave their beautiful country in order to move to another whose president loves to hurl insults at the rest of the world.
Thank You South Africa
My recent migration of blogging platforms gave me an opportunity to speed-read through Joburg Expat. This gave me an excellent bird's-eye view of what South Africa has done for our family. Our lives are richer for having lived in Johannesburg for three years, gone to school there, and traveled the continent. Thank you South Africa for everything, starting with biltong.
Time for Your New Year’s Resolutions: 7 Things to Put on Your South Africa Bucket List for 2017
As expats, we know how quickly things can change. You might be recalled to where you came from or be sent to another continent at a moment's notice. And as expats, we also know that regret about opportunities missed is one of the burdens we often bear heavily. As you begin implementing your New Year's Resolutions for 2017, take a look at this South Africa Bucket List.
Whales, Khoi-San, and Chardonnay: Getaway to South Africa’s Wild Coast (Part Two)
Part 2 of a two-part series about the Wild Coast Meander, a 5-day slack packing hike along South Africa's Wild Coast starting at Kob Inn. Read on as we continue from Wavecrest Beach Hotel and Spa to Trennery's Hotel and finally Morgan Bay Hotel, the ending point of our journey.