Living in one place and settling into a regular pattern of activity has its virtues. Since moving to Johannesburg, I’ve been able to eat regular, healthy meals, sleep eight hours a day, and work out several times a week. I also have a pretty regular teaching schedule and have allotted time to work on my film and various other projects, like this blog. I’ve even set up religious study sessions and am beginning to take Zulu lessons. This arrangement has allowed me to make a good deal of progress with my students and I have been able to complete many projects. But, the predictable way of life is not perfect, at least not for me.
I often miss the excitement of travel and the many variables of a more fast-paced life. Before moving to Joburg, my life was far from predicable. At college, there was always something new going on and the idea of having regular sleep or time for “slow and steady” development was out of the question. After college, I traveled for several months and then, when I first moved to South Africa in September, I spent over a month traveling and visiting the field bands around the country.
So, I have some mixed feelings about my new “normal” life. But, I’ve managed to plan a few trips over the coming months that should hopefully balance the competing interests of the fixed lifestyle I seem to need and the adventurous lifestyle I love. The first of my excursions came a few weeks ago when my parents came to South Africa to visit me.
It was really exciting to have them here. It’s rare that you get to show your folks a place that is intimately familiar to you, but which they have never seen before. My goal for the trip was to show them the absolute highlights of the country and it turned out to be one of the greatest trips of my life and a very special experience for my parents as well. They are already planning to come back in October!
The trip really did put things in perspective for me and gave me a sincere appreciation for the unique and inspiring qualities of this incredible country. The adventure took us around the country, from the game reserves of Mpumalanga, to bustling heart of Soweto, the haunting mountains of the Karoo, and the magnificent coasts of Cape Town.
I tried to balance the trip between natural wonders, cultural highlights, and “down-to-earth” South African experiences. To see the extreme luxury of some of the world’s most sumptuous game lodges without also experiencing the extreme poverty of some of the townships, would be a one-sided approach to touring South Africa. Likewise, a visit to the high-strung economic capital of Johannesburg without a trip to the laid-back and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town, would create an incomplete picture of the country.
This balanced approach really made the trip special and it was very refreshing for me to get out of Joburg for a bit and appreciate South Africa as a whole.
Please check out the slide show I’ve put together from the trip. I tried to cover a good amount of detail in my captions, but feel free to send me a message if you have any comments or questions.
