Happy first Friday of 2020! Honestly, it seems crazy to me that A) it’s already Friday, B) we’ve been home a full week, and C) that’s 2020. Time flies. But, here we are, and I’m loving the opportunity to share our holiday visiting family, as well as our South Africa travel highlights. I feel that, by doing so, I’m almost able to go back and enjoy it all over again. Minus the sunshine, of course, because the PNW is delivering those gray days in spades (insert eye roll here).
We’re doing our best to get back on track though, and like I mentioned, we have a big new year ahead of us filled with huge goals, lots of challenges, and a whole lot of personal growth ahead, as well. But for today? Today, I’m focusing on the fabulous holiday we had and, in keeping with the theme of the last week, I’m sharing five of our South Africa travel highlights. And there were a lot, so picking just five was hard…
1 // Spending time with family
This one is a no-brainer! On the one hand, I feel like traveling to South Africa every two years feels like an eternity. On the other hand, going back always feels like no time has passed at all. Spending time with cousins, watching the kids really get to know their cousins, and introduce Connor to this land we love was such a treat. I have to detail more about it later, but Ryan and I really do love it so much that one day we might just not come back again 😉
2 // Lazy days on the beach
We didn’t just have one or two beach trips in South Africa. We had a lot! Sure, some of them were rainy (like the whole first week at Margate), but we saw plenty of sun, too! I have more beach trips to share, but Hout Bay was a dream, as were the Margate tidal pools, Camps Bay, and more.
3 // Seeing the sunset at Pretoria’s Union Buildings
This isn’t the first time we’ve gone to see the sunset here, and it certainly won’t be the last, but it was such a special moment. It had been raining most of the day, and we were pretty bummed because there wasn’t going to be a real “sunset” per se. And yet, when we arrived there, all of sudden there was the most beautiful pink and purple sunset for just five minutes before it disappeared for good. It was truly special.
4 // The most decadent meals in the world
When in South Africa, you take advantage of the conversion rate. The dollar is much stronger than the rand, so eating out – and frequently – isn’t out of the question. Ryan and I enjoyed a rare date night at one of Cape Town’s most incredible tasting menu restaurants (more on that next week), and we made sure to indulge in famous chocolate, coffee, drinks, and more.
5 // Daydreaming about the future
There was something innately magical about the Cape this year. The sun was shining and being able to share it with Ryan as an adult, no less, was special. Both of us love it so much there, and between visiting Simons Town, going up Chapman’s Peak for the incredible views, exploring Noordhoek and Boulders Beach, and more, we had plenty of time to think…what if?
Until then though, we’re back to the grind, and I’ll admit that it’s entirely bittersweet. This will be our second weekend home, and we miss our family both overseas and across the country a lot. We’re so grateful we’re able to take these long holidays though, and we’re even more grateful for the ability to stay connected with ease these days. And so, we embrace another weekend ahead and (hopefully) the last remnants of jet-lag!
