Making the decision to leave a place is one thing, following through is quite another. We were so busy with the execution of our plans, that we didn’t foresee the impact our move/change would have on our close friends.
For them, talking about us leaving was ok, but seeing the Rebul shipping crates in our garage made it real. Some friends didn’t even want to collect the items they had bought from us, because collecting meant the reality of us leaving was indeed a fact.
Our last few weeks in South Africa were very hectic for us. Our house wasn’t our home anymore without our personal belongings and for this reason, we couldn’t wait to board the plane with time to relax and reflect on the past few months.
At the same time, we were able to enjoy our lovely little town, Franschhoek, even more than before. We had a delicious lunch at Chefs Warehouse at Maison, a sneaky birthday dinner at Delaire Graff and a final farewell dinner at La Petite Colombe. All of these treats were amazing and worth every cent.
And then the day finally arrived. 29 September 2018. The date we had been working towards for months. We handed over the house keys to the letting agents on Friday, said farewell to the office colleagues and packed the last stuff into our suitcases. Our next door neighbour was so very kind to let us stay in her house for the last two nights and some of our other great friends took us to the airport. Lots of tears were shed all around…
Flying with Emirates was amazing. Friendly staff, flights on time, lots of legroom and seriously good food. We both had a good few hours of sleep before we landed in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The whole family was waiting for us with flags and banners. What a welcome!
The first couple of days in the Netherlands were difficult, to be honest. Everybody we knew in South Africa supported our decision and absolutely understood why we were moving abroad for a better future. In the Netherlands, it seemed like we had to defend our future plans. In South Africa, many people struggle financially and live from hand to mouth. In contrast, most people in the Netherlands have a cosy job, a house with a “white picket fence” and find it hard to understand why we are taking such a big risk.
We are staying true to ourselves and our travelling dreams. Our adventure continues as planned!
Hi dearest friends,
Life is still not normal without you.
Your place in our lives will never be filled.
Love you lots.
Johan & Danelle
Miss you guys! Hope you have an amazing journey x