I miss...

I'm a bit homesick today.
I miss...
...Buying a newspaper every morning on my daily drive just to add to the ever growing pile on the back seat.
...Buying my fake shades while I'm stuck in traffic, bargaining and explaining that I need a discount since I bought three pairs of sunglasses already.
...The local colours, flavours and accents.

I constantly think of the orange sunsets over Joburg, Jakaranda trees in bloom in Pretoria, TUKS FM blaring over the radio day and night.
I think of ienkmelodienk, serrie and jotters from my varsity days. How we use to salute Huis Madelief with such pride. How my friends and I use to defend our jotters with our lives. (A jotter is a hat that was part of the uniform of the residence Madelief at the University of Pretoria)

Summer nights, late nights and good friends are what made my days worthwhile.

I sometimes wonder if I will ever be able to get over my Africa obsession. Probably not...
Yes, the politicians are corrupt, the roads are made up of consecutive potholes, crime is a nightmare. Then again, the country is beautiful, the people even more so and  jokes are abundant and smiles are common...

Maybe this is slightly romantic, but sometimes we need to abandon or leave some things and places behind, to realise how much we loved and appreciated it.