Not Christmas in Connecticut, but Cape Town, South Africa. We are here for over two weeks, visiting with family and having a great time. I will say it again and again - I am never happier than when I am traveling. It stirs something deep inside me, something restless that needs to connect with the rest of the world, and likes to be humbled by the realization of how small we all are in relation to it. Being away during a holiday is something even more special, especially if you are in a third world country, because all of the commercialism is immediately stripped away and you are left with just yourself, and if you are lucky, friends and family around you. The meaning of the holiday becomes so apparent when you are simply thankful to be surrounded by people that you love, and that that is truly the most important thing.
On Christmas Eve, the day of our arrival, we found an Italian restaurant not far from our rental house and had a wonderful home-cooked meal while we waited for the rest of the family to arrive. As in many parts of the world, service is slow slow slow, so a meal for 4 can easily take over 3 hours. Once you understand that, you just relax into it, because there is nothing you can do about it. The owner of the restaurant went from table to table singing a capella songs, from Christmas classics to opera. It was a special night.
On Christmas Day, we spent the day doing as we wished. We are all staying in a large house, and this allows the wonderful freedoms of not having to adhere to a schedule. You eat when you want, sleep when you want, and at the same time you are all together. In the evening, my aunt and uncle hosted a braai, or barbeque, at their house. I was reminded of a similar event, also on Christmas Day, at our cousin's house in Johannesburg - exactly 30 years ago. I was 12, and we were on our Winter Holiday, and I remember thinking how strange it was to swim in the pool and wear shorts on Christmas. Now, as an adult, I had a wonderful appreciation for being in such balmy weather, standing on the balcony with a glass of local sparkling wine in my hand, taking in the stunning view of Table Mountain. We sat around the table in our paper hats from our Christmas crackers, laughing and enjoying the food and each other.
At night, I looked up at the sky. The sky in Africa is blacker than black, like velvet, with a delicate scattering of stars like pinpricks to light it up. This is something that I always remember from my trips here. I remember thinking about how lucky I was to be in this place, full of good food, tired from laughing, and with a renewed appreciation for life's many gifts.
