**The following post is not like the usual stuff we post, so if you are looking for pictures or looking for something light to read then it is not this post. This post is something that we have decided that will affect us as a family, more of a ‘heavy’ read.**
After more than 5 years of moving back to South Africa, we have decided have thought of moving back to the US since last year. And earlier on this year we have talked through with my parents and have decided on moving back before then end of this November.
It really wasn’t an easy choice to make but we believe it is the correct one. Although the business opportunities may not be as good in the US compared to South Africa, but at the end the advantages of US outweighs South Africa.
First off is the general safety and the crimes in SA is beyond than what we can handle especially for the kids. If children were not in the equation, i guess the decision to move back will not be as sudden or we might not have even thought of moving back. The other that we really do feel is the education, that we cannot compromise in any way for the sake of the future of our children.
Ladybrand, South Africa is where we stay, house robbery has become something you hear quite a few times within a year and for a town with 25,000 people it is quite frequent. Plus, the majority of the victims of these robberies are targeted towards minorities which adds more to the frightened situation.
Maseru, the capital of Lesotho which is landlocked by South Africa is where we wake up every morning to go to work for 6 days a week. This place is not better either, only for a few weeks back there was already 3 incidents towards Asian people. All 3 incidents involved shootings and are concluded that they are robberies. On all 3 incidents, the criminals start shooting at the driver side of the car while the car is moving, you either stop from the shock and they will rob you and beat you or if your clear thinking enough, you will drive to a safe place to stop. 1 of the incident happened where the victim stopped after the criminals fired on the vehicle and they robbed him and beaten the victim. 2nd incident the victim was fast thinking and he didn’t stop, carried driving until he reached to a safe place. Unfortunately the 3rd incident’s victim was not that lucky, he was shot, and after trying to continue to drive away, he hit another vehicle and died in the car from the gunshot wound. 2nd and 3rd victims are either our friends or someone we have known for a long time.
In any case we have decided and have the date set already on returning to the US.
We initially came back to South Africa to help with my parents with their business because they travel a lot and they felt that it was hard to find someone trustworthy to look after their business, that is when we decided to move back and help them. I know it was really hard for my parents also for them to know that we can no longer hold up on the deal on helping them and that we have to move. As it was the same with us, it was hard for us to tell them our plans but i know they understand our concerns. The other thing for me I wish to accomplish is that i will be able to do something for myself and not inherit or have what was already built by my parents. Although many friends and family say that i am lucky to have what my parents have built and just to keep working on it, i agree with them 100% that i am a very lucky person to have that ready for me. But in the end, that is not something i have built myself and it is not what i am especially passionate about. I don’t need to be very well off to live a good life, i just need to have a stable and safe lifestyle and to be able to keep my family far from harm and keep food on the table.
It is less than 2 months away till we fly off back to the US and it has really started to sink in. We have many ideas in mind on what we will be doing once we move back but it is the unknown that really scares us. What if it may not work out to what we expected? what if we end up struggling financially?
I have always told myself that in order to be able to overcome any obstacle, one must go under pressure and not break. Only after overcoming the pressure, one can taste and really appreciate the fruition of what they have accomplished.
I have already been trying to adjust the emotions and feelings on how everything will pan out, but it really is harder than i thought and at times getting really anxious. But to support a family with 2 children, we know we have to be strong.
Having shared with readers of our current situation it may help us in ways that we might not have known and it is also a way of venting and releasing some of the stress we are under.
As we may say, the journey has basically started as we are in the process of choosing what to bring back with us and what to give away and what to keep with my parents. With so many years in South Africa, there are a lot of things that have sentimental value while at the same time we cannot manage to take all of those with us. So we have to pack wisely and see what can be gifted out, sell or keep.
What do you think of the decision we have made, is there something else that we may overlooked?
We will need all the good wishes we can get
Let the next chapter begin…….
Little bit of everything 