1st May 2023
It was 1987 and I was a excited 20 year old, I boarded a KLM plane to set out on my gap year. I sold my old faithful Datsun 120Y and had managed to save up the equivalent of £1000 which was R3,30 to a pound! I was excited to explore, to see the world that I'd been forced to leave at the age of 5 with my family. I said goodbye to the family, my mum and little sister had travelled up with my dad to wave the sad goodbye from the other side of the big glass windows.
I was armed with some reference letters and big expectations of getting a job in sound and had visions of only ever returning to South Africa to visit. It was the heavy years of Apartheid and the threat of civil war was always threatening and I felt powerless about all of it. I was convinced Scotland would welcome me back with open arms. Oh the confidence of youth....
This date always reminds me of that big scary dream and how things fall into place. But sometimes the timing is way off and plans need readjusting and the dreams unravel in very different ways.
I am now back at my other sister's house and Molly, the dog was extremely happy to see me. We went for a walk and I'm covered in dog hair and so far the cat hasn't attacked me, lol.
9 days till I return to Schipol Airport which was my landing airport for my one year return ticket waaay back in last century.
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