The Hidden Fence

Over Christmas and New Year I flew back to Switzerland. It was really a good trip and I had the chance to meet almost all my friends. I spent seven days in the Alps in Rougemont near Gstaad and of course I went skiing.

When flying back to South Africa, I asked myself the question:

Am I flying back home or am I coming from home?

Or more generally, is home where you live or where you come from? I don’t know the answer and I think it is not easy to answer at all. I think most people living abroad have this feeling. You feel somehow attached to your roots, and perhaps you are even proud about them.

I only realised what I liked most about Switzerland when I wasn’t there anymore. So for example I just had to travel around the whole holidays by train because I missed it so much. Also the ability to walk freely in the streets: Swiss (like myself before I left for South Africa) just take it for granted, that they can walk in the city.

There are plenty of other examples like those, and I don’t speak about the obvious things like Swiss cheese or Swiss chocolate! The opposite applies: you can very easily export goods, but you can’t export a way of life, punctuality or security.

After all those thoughts one thing is for sure: I would never like to miss the experiences I’m having here in Johannesburg and in South Africa in general. It broadens one’s horizon more than I ever expected.