A relaxing morning out and thoughts about the journey ahead

On Saturday, I was invited by Emirates Airlines to come for a movie at Hyde Park. The idea was to promote their entertainment system and let all the bloggers and their families enjoy watching the new kids’ movie, Storks. I went mainly because I thought I’d show face, meet the PR reps and get a feel for the event, but I didn’t imagine that Harley would last for the movie. Instead, my expectations were vastly exceeded.

Yes, there was coffee and juice and nice croissants. It was nice to chat to the other people there, to touch base with some of the mommy bloggers I usually only connect with online, and to be in a kid-friendly environment with Harley where she could dress up like a flight attendant or pilot. But it was also the movie experience that made me particularly happy. Continue Reading

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Yes, we will still move to America despite Trump’s victory

still move to America despite Trump

Yesterday was a very hard day for me. I was feeling down for most of the day. No, that’s not quite right. I was filled with anxiety for most of the day, feeling sick to my stomach and overwhelmed and wondering about our future. It made me so sad that so many Americans could vote for a man I see as absolutely vile. It made me sad that so many Americans were embracing his racist, sexist and pro-hate narrative – how could I still think about moving to America when so many of my friends were looking to get out? Would my move to the States be an endorsement of who he is and what he stands for?

Then, Dean and I went out. We went for food and drinks and to really talk about it all. And we will still move to America despite Trump becoming president. Day to day life will probably still be the same – good schools will still offer Harley a quality education, good jobs will still pay us salaries that make life affordable, and we can still have access to all the good food and cool gaming and fun activities available in the US of A. But more than that, there’s something I can do in the States that I can’t do here; I can make a difference there. Continue Reading

1 Comment Rambling, South Africa

Life and Death

life and death

Just shy of two weeks ago, Harley and I went to our first funeral. But it’s not just the day of the funeral that has stuck with me, it’s everything around it, too. You see, one of my closest friend’s mom died in a tragic and sudden way. It’s been devastating for the family, but also for everyone who was touched by her life. Jan was a beautiful, generous, loving woman who made everyone feel special. She loved Harley so much, too, and called herself Harley’s God-Grandmother. And she was. And now that she’s gone, it’s made me think about the past as well as the future.

Looking back, I wish I had seen her more. I have wonderful memories with her, but I wish I had even more. I wish I had asked her to hang out with me and Harley when she was free in Joburg. I generally don’t believe in regret – I know that I always make the best decisions I can with the information I have at the time. And yet… I regret not spending more time with Jan, and if I’d known then just how little time we’d have together, I would have done things differently. But I suppose that’s what death does to us. Continue Reading

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Will I be a foreigner in my home country?

foreign

Dean and I have been heating up our talks about emigrating. I think now that Harley finally has a birth certificate, the main hurdle to our moving has been passed. Now it’s just a matter of getting her passport sorted, finding work in the States and moving. Obviously there’s a lot of admin that will go along with it, but it’s mainly a thing of making lists and crossing things off. I’m excited for it, and I think it will be the best thing for our family, but I am worried about just how much it will feel like home.

I’m glad we aren’t looking to move back to New York City. It has changed so much from when I grew up there, I think it would be even more of a culture shock. Instead, we are leaning towards places in California – the lifestyle seems well suited to what Dean and I like, the school districts are fantastic and the weather won’t make either of us miserable. But the culture will still be very different, and I’m wondering if I will feel even more foreign. Continue Reading

7 Comments Rambling, South Africa

Musings on re-watching the Gilmore Girls

In the early 2000s, my mom and I fell in love with the Gilmore Girls. It was fast-paced, funny, gut-wrenching, and starred a mother-daughter team that we adored. I was about Rory’s age when the show originally aired, and I naturally identified with her. Plenty of the details were different, but the broad strokes felt similar. When it was announced that Netflix would be doing a mini-season of the show, I was incredibly excited. The characters had been so compelling, and it’s something that I think a variety of shows could do well with – we want to know what happened to those characters we knew and loved, but I’m not exactly prepared to jump into a whole series revival.

In anticipation of the show’s return, Netflix has all seven seasons of the Gilmore Girls available for binging. I avoided it for a while when it was added, but I’ve started watching it again, and I’m making pretty good progress. I’ve justified it as being good preparation for the new season; I want to make sure all the details are fresh in my head when the mini-season airs. But I think it’s been having a strange effect on me this time around. Continue Reading

4 Comments Geek, Rambling, TV