I ran a quick calculation: I flew at least 35 times out of South Africa over the last eight years. Going to the airport and hopping over to the other side of the globe was more frequent than the times I drove my car outside the province of Gauteng. This could have been one more of them.
Eight years, ten boxes, a suitcase and a guitar. This was all I had to carry. But in my memory and my heart, I can recall countless heartbeats, feelings, smiles and sunsets.
There is nothing more important in life than the moments we are breathless, the moments we close our eyes to better see joy, the moments when our heart is bigger than the body that carries it.
I arrived to a natural paradise where the sun, the sea and the wind meet the fertile soil and the proud mountains; a refuge for one of the biggest varieties of animals and plants; a meeting point of two oceans; and a home of wonderful people of all races, religions and backgrounds who, despite the grievances of the past and the difficulties of the present, know how to share the biggest smile for anyone willing to reciprocate. A home that is a true miracle of humankind, a beacon of hope and the best example of reconciliation that this planet has ever experienced, despite all the things that the pessimists would like to point at.
Life only moves forward. With only one exception, every end signals a new beginning. Crossroads do not present dilemmas but opportunities. And every departure marks a new arrival. On that amazing trajectory of life and time, I sit back humbled by a wonderful country, exceptional people and amazing visitors who, like me, were so warmly embraced.
Thank you South Africa, from the bottom of my heart. I do not say goodbye but rather until we meet again. Hamba kahle, sala hantle, tot ziens.