As the jacarandas trees exploded with purple blossoms across Johannesburg, I couldn’t help but think that this was the last time I would see them usher in spring. In what is surely a perverse way of viewing the world, I find myself longing for my South African life even though I am still living my South African life. The absurdity of indulging in nostalgia for the life I am leading instead of appreciating my life in the moment, is not lost on me.
Nearly three years ago was the culmination of one of the biggest decisions I have made in my life. Having never been to Johannesburg, I boarded a plane and flew 16 hours, halfway around the world, into the unknown. I was moving to a city where the only person I knew was the woman who had hired me. Mid-flight I awoke from an exhausted sleep in a panic about the decision I had made. It was the only moment in the past three years, that I doubted my decision to leave home.
Falling ill has a way of bringing out our inner child. When we find ourselves sick and away from home, the desire for the familiar can be overwhelming. Our hard earned holiday has gone askew. Getting sick while traveling in can be particularly overwhelming and it’s best to be prepared.
Two years ago I moved to South Africa. I never expected to live here, but I know I am where I am meant to be. Happy South African two year anniversary to me!
Living in South Africa means that I have plenty of opportunities to experience long haul flights and I have developed several coping mechanisms to survive 15 plus hours in coach. What are your techniques for surviving long haul flights?
Nostalgia for home hits me at unexpected moments, but what has surprised me about living in Johannesburg is that I don’t miss home as much as I expected I would. I throughly expected to have the same reaction when I moved to Johannesburg. I girded myself to miss the U.S. and I waited for it to happen.