Evening on Discovery Bay, Washington
Making decisions is not easy and it’s taken me a while to actually nail it down. this decision has been particularly difficult as it really affects the rest of my life. Since I arrived in late May, with the express purpose of getting vaccinated, the idea of going back to South Africa or finding somewhere closer to here to live comfortably, has been first and foremost in my mind. Especially after the rioting and unrest that roiled South Africa in July, and the very slow vaccination roll out there.
I’ve spent hours researching places - Colombia, Panama, Belize - all closer and with relatively inexpensive cost of living indexes. Years ago, I was very close to moving to Panama and I love Belize. Ryan is considering Colombia for the future. So all three have attractions for me. Especially the distance factor, as I absolutely dread the long 2-day South African flights. This has been the biggest hurdle to tackle.
But my overriding decision was made because I DO NOT want to start all over again. As they say, “Been there, done that.” So…I will go back to South Africa and my little garden cottage towards the end of October., early November.
Before I left, my life was ticking over nicely. It’s a country I’m very familiar with, I have friends and family there. And I speak the language! A big plus in its favor when compared to the South American countries where I would have to learn Spanish! Plus, we (Ryan and I) have sorted out how I can fly Business Class, which I experienced for the first time, flying over here this time. It makes an enormous difference and makes it actually doable.
In the Meantime
Some of the images and slides
I’ve been tripping down memory lane…
Randy, my ex and the boys’ dad, is unwell and has asked for pictures of the boys and of our past, as he doesn’t have any. I have boxes and boxes of slides and prints, stashed out in Jim and Mardelle’s garage! So I am slowly going through them all, sorting and discarding as I go! With a bit of a deadline (no pun intended) I’m hoping to get the project completed in the next 10 days or so.
It’s such a trip! I bought a scanner and for the last few days have been steadily making headway through the piles! It’s a lot of fun and there are some very funny pix from eons ago…from my early sailing days in the South Pacific, to 4x4 trips down Baja in the “old” days. Damn, we were just kids! The pix trigger all sorts of memories that have been buried for years and years.
Piles of pictures of the boys from birth, literally! Slides and prints plus a reel of home movies which was converted onto a disc! Such poor digitizing quality, though and I am hoping that re-digitizing the original reels with modern equipment will render them a lot more enjoyable.
And of course, there are pix of certain person who shall remain un-named that are filling up several trash bags, a place they definitely belong.
Once this project is completed, I’ll look at what I am taking back with me. Traveling Biz Class allows for 2 suitcases, so I am hoping to take some of my mementos that are also stashed in boxes here. Having them will definitely make my little place feel more like home. But it’s always a challenge deciding what to keep.
Where I will Be for the Next Few Weeks
My plan is to be here in Washington for the next few weeks before heading back to Southern California, final doctor appointments and visits to friends before heading back to South Africa.