Christmas Lights

Sunday evening, we went to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront for lunch, and then stayed downtown for the concert and Christmas lights celebration.  I’ve got to be honest; it feels ridiculous getting ready to celebrate Christmas in a tank top and board shorts!  Anyway, we stood in a crowd of 50,000+ Capetonians waiting for the sun to set so the mayor could flick the switch and turn on the lights.  They were strung up and down Long Street, one of the main streets downtown.

The concert had some good acts (Freshlyground) and some not so good acts, but it was a really different vibe than I expected.  The feeling of the crowd was really relaxed and family oriented. I feel like at a big event like that back home it would have been a bit more rowdy.  I was really pleased to spend my first day in the city with its people and feel such a warm and welcoming vibe.

Hout Bay

After a long nights rest, I spent my first morning in Cape Town on a scenic drive through Constantia. We went up, down, and around the mountains. There were big, Cape Dutch style houses and hills with vineyards dotting the scenery. We ended our drive in Hout Bay, a small fishing community with a beach and harbor area with a few seafood restaurants. It actually felt a little strange to suddenly find ourselves at sea level after driving through what felt like high elevations. The water was beautiful, and we even saw a seal pop its little head up before we left the beach.  After stopping at the Lookout Deck for a drink, we headed back to Cape Town.

Relocating

This is what it looks like when you decide to quit your job, pack your belongings, and fly over 7,000 miles away to start a new life in Cape Town, South Africa. Exciting, no?? I gave my notice and left my job with a group tour operator in Boston. Two weeks later, after a wonderful farewell party, I carted all my stuff home in a 16’ moving van. Let the record show I didn’t actually need the 16’ truck, nor did I enjoy driving such a large truck, but it was all they had! So now, I’m just getting settled and can’t wait to tell you more about my new life in sunny South Africa.