(*This was previously written)
Today is the 23rd of January and it is setting in now, as it has already been a long time coming, wanting, planning. I am going to do what has been on my mind and heart and weighing on almost my entire being for a long time now. Over the past year (2012) I went to Zimbabwe twice - coming into the New Year and in mid August. Those are 2 very different times of year in Zim. The first, December through January, being summer and fun filled. Lots of parties, friends, diaspora (Londoners, Australians, Dubaians, South Africaners, Americanos etc) in town - everything summer stands for. The other a lot quieter on the tail end of Zimbabwe's winter and almost a more realistic feeling of what Zimbabwe feels like once the foreign number plates, accents and currencies are gone (except the dirtier rands and dollar bills circulating). As short (10 days each) different as both trips were, I came back everly convinced that I belong there. I belong in Zimbabwe because I need Zimbabwe more than Zimbabwe needs me. It's like that first love you had a long time ago and after living in sooo many countries after, you start to realize that even thought the others were more advanced, fun, adventure filled and whatever all the comparisons I can draw between my country and the experiences
- whether Africa is the future or not [there are plenty of experts to extol and explain either side of the coin]Africa is MY future
- if N. Korea keeps testing their long range missiles in the general direction of the United States, I would much rather be chilling in Zimbabwe because living near Washington DC would pretty much put me in its bulls eye
- the fiscal cliff is real!!! As much as the difference wasn't such a huge one, it certainly was visible. Uncle Sam can miss me with that
- what am I really waiting for here?!
- because I've always seen my long term career and raising of a family in Africa somewhere, I can get on that career thing now and establishing property roots so I don't come back 10 years from now and have to be buying a house from a Chinese or Russian or whoever is buying up the continent
- eating all the good organic and farm fresh produce grown in the huge back yard (in Zimbabwe people have huuuge yards with manicured gardens and always a patch of some kinda veggies and fruit trees)
- I can go running/jogging/riding without worrying about showing up on the 6 o'clock news as missing or at least not have that fear
- domestic help (if you dare say something about oppression/slavery/what what shut up now! That is a legitimate form of labor and it's not based on race so do not project your -isms here - *smoothes well ironed pleats on skirt*)
- I love Obama and his fam to bits, but this is the last term. I voted for him 2ce so my part is done and like those people who said they would leave if he won, i'm one of those who waited to see him get back into the White House to let out a huge exhale. I was there see HERE
- no kids, no mortgage, no car note
- Why NOT?
- why settle for average to awesome here when I can be extraordinary and amazing there?
- i hate GUNS!
- closer to Mom and grandparents
- simplify, simplify, simplify
- magnify, magnify, magnify
- rock SOLID social safety net
- travel with friends and solo. I want to travel throughout the continent to countries I have and haven't been to to experience them as an adult completely aware and engaged of and with her surroundings vs. with mom or school
- BLACK MAJORITY
- $10 mani/pedis
- $40 for the best braids in life vs $150 for a shoddy job here
- "The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money"
- enjoying the experience of travel: being given food and drinks, however meager, on flights and not being groped and frisked at airport (except maybe in South Africa) when flying intercontintally
- headlines, along with the whole Trayvon Martin story that is STILL to this day going on, like this --> HERE. There is something terribly wrong when things like this, as upset as I get, become normal and i just shrug and think this is America. I do not want to become that person. I need to be more upset and shocked about it. Not anymore for right now.
_________________________________________________________________________________
So now today is March 20th and it's been 20 days from the day I left America for almighty Africa! There is sooooo much to talk about and add to the list above, but also to update on what has since happened since the above list was compiled, albeit sporadically. I am happy though :)
So much has happened and as most bloggers would know once you stop updating and being consistent it becomes even harder to hop back into the swing of things.
Watch this space!
Today is the 23rd of January and it is setting in now, as it has already been a long time coming, wanting, planning. I am going to do what has been on my mind and heart and weighing on almost my entire being for a long time now. Over the past year (2012) I went to Zimbabwe twice - coming into the New Year and in mid August. Those are 2 very different times of year in Zim. The first, December through January, being summer and fun filled. Lots of parties, friends, diaspora (Londoners, Australians, Dubaians, South Africaners, Americanos etc) in town - everything summer stands for. The other a lot quieter on the tail end of Zimbabwe's winter and almost a more realistic feeling of what Zimbabwe feels like once the foreign number plates, accents and currencies are gone (except the dirtier rands and dollar bills circulating). As short (10 days each) different as both trips were, I came back everly convinced that I belong there. I belong in Zimbabwe because I need Zimbabwe more than Zimbabwe needs me. It's like that first love you had a long time ago and after living in sooo many countries after, you start to realize that even thought the others were more advanced, fun, adventure filled and whatever all the comparisons I can draw between my country and the experiences
- whether Africa is the future or not [there are plenty of experts to extol and explain either side of the coin]Africa is MY future
- if N. Korea keeps testing their long range missiles in the general direction of the United States, I would much rather be chilling in Zimbabwe because living near Washington DC would pretty much put me in its bulls eye
- the fiscal cliff is real!!! As much as the difference wasn't such a huge one, it certainly was visible. Uncle Sam can miss me with that
- what am I really waiting for here?!
- because I've always seen my long term career and raising of a family in Africa somewhere, I can get on that career thing now and establishing property roots so I don't come back 10 years from now and have to be buying a house from a Chinese or Russian or whoever is buying up the continent
- eating all the good organic and farm fresh produce grown in the huge back yard (in Zimbabwe people have huuuge yards with manicured gardens and always a patch of some kinda veggies and fruit trees)
- I can go running/jogging/riding without worrying about showing up on the 6 o'clock news as missing or at least not have that fear
- domestic help (if you dare say something about oppression/slavery/what what shut up now! That is a legitimate form of labor and it's not based on race so do not project your -isms here - *smoothes well ironed pleats on skirt*)
- I love Obama and his fam to bits, but this is the last term. I voted for him 2ce so my part is done and like those people who said they would leave if he won, i'm one of those who waited to see him get back into the White House to let out a huge exhale. I was there see HERE
- no kids, no mortgage, no car note
- Why NOT?
- why settle for average to awesome here when I can be extraordinary and amazing there?
- i hate GUNS!
- closer to Mom and grandparents
- simplify, simplify, simplify
- magnify, magnify, magnify
- rock SOLID social safety net
- travel with friends and solo. I want to travel throughout the continent to countries I have and haven't been to to experience them as an adult completely aware and engaged of and with her surroundings vs. with mom or school
- BLACK MAJORITY
- $10 mani/pedis
- $40 for the best braids in life vs $150 for a shoddy job here
- "The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money"
- enjoying the experience of travel: being given food and drinks, however meager, on flights and not being groped and frisked at airport (except maybe in South Africa) when flying intercontintally
- headlines, along with the whole Trayvon Martin story that is STILL to this day going on, like this --> HERE. There is something terribly wrong when things like this, as upset as I get, become normal and i just shrug and think this is America. I do not want to become that person. I need to be more upset and shocked about it. Not anymore for right now.
_________________________________________________________________________________
So now today is March 20th and it's been 20 days from the day I left America for almighty Africa! There is sooooo much to talk about and add to the list above, but also to update on what has since happened since the above list was compiled, albeit sporadically. I am happy though :)
So much has happened and as most bloggers would know once you stop updating and being consistent it becomes even harder to hop back into the swing of things.
Watch this space!
Interesting, I hope to read more. ALl the best!
ReplyDeleteThanks Myne <3 - I will definitely be updating a lot more often than i did in the last couple of months. As usual, I still love reading your blog on the daily :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the organic food (plus property) that does it for me. Folks growing organic food and they don't even know it! Those Zimbos who return in 10 yrs time will find the cheapest homes in the suburbs going for a million.
ReplyDelete