Giving up "Expat-status"

What is an expatriate or expat?  According to wiki.answers.com: "a person who is living in another country, or working overseas temporarily."

Getting back to "normal" life after "being an expat" was a challenge.  I have been craving to write, to post on my blog and not to disappoint, but arriving in one's home country, picking up again where you left of years ago (or what feels like eternities ago) is time-consuming and there is always something else to do... or family or friends to see, writing just had to wait.  But now I am back on my blog, ready to write about my new life in beautiful, sunny South Africa and wanting to attract as many attention as possible so that all my fellow expats all over the world can come visit!

Moving back to my home country wasn't an easy decision. And starting again, getting back into SA life, getting used to SA-mentality (said with the utmost respect) wasn't easy as well.  South Africans have a whole different mindset and lifestyle (and I fell in love with it all over again!).  I jumped every time I heard Afrikaans around me, in a shop or on the street.  The people around me are friendly.  Everyone talks to everyone.  The beggar on the street always has a joke to tell when you walk by, the painter greets every car that drives by, the shop owner comes out to talk to you and ask you where you've been.  I got used to "your own personal space" overseas.  This is a rare thing in South Africa.  If someone sees you buying a cool drink, they will remind you of the Red bull-special, but in the same sentence say that you don't need a Red bull because you look "lekker op-en-wakker" (wide a wake and in a friendly mood).  And then everybody laughs.  I realised that I missed this about South Africa.

I now live in a town (I like to think of it as a fishing village, but it is bigger than a village though), Mossel Bay. Mossel Bay is famous for its amazing weather, ranked as the town with the second best weather in the world, and with the rarity of houses facing north. I forgot how amazing the weather is... every morning I wake up expecting cloudy, dark skies, but wake up with beautiful warm days and sunshine throughout the day! It is really amazing (not to make anyone jealous, but I mention this rather with the idea to attract visitors!). It is officially autumn now, but it feels like summer. We are walking around with t-shirts, flip-flops and shorts and just enjoying the sunshine.

In the months that follow I am going to try and promote Mossel Bay, The Garden Route and the rest of beautiful South Africa. I believe people from all over the world need to see an appreciate South Africa with its remarkable history and landscape.

Follow and support my blog, keep track of what I'm up to, what cute and interesting restaurants and shops I have discovered recently and what is happening in Mossel Bay and surrounding area!

xICKx