Hits and Misses

Many people have asked me what I missed the most about life in America while I lived in South Africa. Here are a few of those things, in no particular order, along with a few more I miss about there now that I’m here.

Besides the obvious ones, like family and friends, the things I missed most about the U.S. were:

-          American football. Rugby just ain’t the same.

-          Dr. Pepper

-          Chik-Fil-A biscuits

-          Country music. Thank the Lord for the iPod.

-          Sports Illustrated

-          Southern barbecue

-          Mexican food

-          Fall weather

-          Unlimited internet

And the things I now miss most about South Africa:

-          Mountains and sea everywhere I looked

-          South African accents

-          Breyani (a spicy curry dish with chicken, rice and lentils)

-          An unhurried way of doing things, also known as African Time (OK sometimes I enjoyed this; sometimes it was maddening)

-          Wildlife sightings: e.g., whales, baboons, ostrich

-          Rooibos tea (very tasty and grown only in the RSA)

-          A city, Cape Town, that is one of the most vibrant and scenic I’ve ever experienced

-          Working for a cause greater than my own

-          Some of the most interesting and beautiful people I’ve ever known