Johannesburg - 1st Tour 2023-2025

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 22:05:22 +0200

I don’t know, I wrote a lot and I don’t know if it all belongs here. First of all, how did we even end up in South Africa?

The journey to becoming a foreign service officer has been a long one, yet it was definitely worth the wait! Rewind back to 2018, I’m currently a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin and decided to take the FSOT (foreign service officer test) just to see what it’s like so that I’ll know how to better study for it in the future. A difficult test that covers a wide range of topics, I obviously assumed I wouldn’t pass. To my surprise I did pass and spent the next year taking several more rounds of exams and interviews until finally I passed the last step and made the list of candidates deemed suitable for this career (woohoo!!). My time on the list eventually expired without ever being called on and I found myself back to square one. I tried 2 more times unsuccessfully and then on the 4th attempt I again made the list and this time received an invite to orientation to officially become a foreign service officer. The only problem, we had just bought our first home 2 months prior…what timing.

Fast forward to the end of orientation. Called Flag Day, this is where my colleagues and I will receive our first assignment. As you can imagine, the nerves and energy in the room is palpable. I didn’t have too much time to stress as my name was called 2nd…GSO in Johannesburg! I gladly went up to the stage to accept the South African flag.

South Africa holds a special place in our hearts. Phil previously lived in Cape Town, now we were heading back in my first diplomatic assignment. We were fortunate to have traveled throughout the region, which we talk about in our other posts. However, this post is more about our daily lives and the amazing people we got to know.

We lived in a townhome inside a compound in Hyde Park. Just down the street from us were homes of some of the wealthiest people in South Africa, including the current president’s personal residence and other politicians. I passed by these massive private residences on my way to work at the Consulate. Shielded by giant 20’ walls and guards carrying large rifles, I would try to catch a glimpse of what was inside anytime the front gate opened to let a car in.

Most days after work and on the weekends we would walk to the shopping mall down the street from us and go grocery shopping at Woolworths. On the way we’d say hi to Agnes who sold crochet animals at the intersection and another guy that we never knew his name. Before Sonja was born, we’d love going out to eat at Olives and Plates, George’s steakhouse or Red Chamber Chinese food. On Fridays Phil always made dinner in his pizza oven in the back yard.

We’d always start the weekend with a 5k Park Run, either at Delta Park or Woodlands. Rushing out the door and arriving usually seconds before the race started, it was a crazy yet rewarding start to the weekend. Afterwards, we would drive up to get bubble tea at Sprino and visit with the same 3 ladies who worked there everyday.

My favorite weekend activity by far was visiting the markets around Johannesburg. The Linden and Irene market were some of our favorites. I loved buying locally made baby clothes and toys and Phil never left without buying a hand poured candle.

Once Sonja was born we were fortunate to hire a nanny. First Sharon and then Judy. They would have daily playdates with the next door neighbors boy and his nanny, Nonhlanhla. The nannies would also chat with the compound guards and Sonja would spend the day listening to their conversations in Zulu. Both Sharon and Judy would do our laundry every day despite us telling them that once a week was sufficient. We would joke that we only wore the same 2 pairs of underwear during our tour.

Sonja’s first friend, Cal, was the boy nextdoor. They loved throwing rocks down the storm drains and playing in the garden fountain. When they turned 6 months, they took swim lessons at the condo across the street. As Sonja learned to walk, she would meander over to Cal’s house every time she was let outside.

What I will miss most about South Africa is the friendly demeanor of the people we encountered. The waitress that asked if she could take Sonja back to the kitchen because the rest of the staff wanted to meet her, the lady at KFC and the guy at Nandos that came out specifically to say hi to Sonja. The gas attendants that always reminded you to have a great day. Agnes who gifted Sonja a crochet springbok just because we’d walk by and say hi so often. The woman who ran our favorite Ethiopian restaurant and cried when we told her we were moving. And above all Sharon, Judy and Nonhlanhla.

Addo Elephant Park

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 22:43:18 +0200

Just before Phil’s parental leave ended, we decided to take our first trip with Sonja down to Addo Elephant Park. Sonja was just about 1-month old when we packed up our car and embarked on her first adventure.

Careful to limit the amount of time in her car seat, we broke the trip up to allow for plenty of rest stops (aka me nursing at gas stations or on the side of the road in a camp chair). We spent our first night at a farm style cottage in Bloemfontein. The AirB&B was elegant and relaxing. We wished we could have stayed a second night and vowed to stay there again if we ever found ourselves back in the Free State.

Our relaxing Airbnb in Bloemfontein

On the second day we made our way to Mountain Zebra National Park where we stayed in one of the Park’s cottages. We arrived just in time for a quick sunset drive up to one of the lookout points. On our way up we saw buffalo and of course Mountain Zebra - which are a unique breed and different from the more common Plains or Burchell’s Zebra. After the sunset we experienced the most challenging night since Sonja had been born. Sonja was losing it and there was nothing we could do to console her. For hours she screamed and cried until finally, somehow, she wore down and fell asleep. Drained and defeated, we had to decide - do we push on and continue to drive even further from home, or do we just give up and head back? As I lay down to sleep, I decided to abandon the trip and make our way back home the next day. However, by morning Sonja was back to her usual self and we all felt like the figurative storm clouds had passed. Let’s do this! Our confidence returned and we decided to continue South. It’s amazing how much sleep can help you reset.

As we entered the Eastern Cape, the landscape turned green and more tropical. Just a few miles from the park entrance we got our first glance of the coast and felt a sense of relaxation and accomplishment. We spent two nights in the Southern, less developed, part of the park. Despite sharing a bathroom with the biggest spider I’ve ever seen and having vervet monkeys sneak in through the window and eat all of our snacks while we were napping, we had a very comfortable stay. I loved sitting out on the balcony with Sonja in my lap soaking in the beautiful scenery and listening to the birds fly by.

Sitting on the balcony of our cabin in Addo Elephant National Park

On the return trip, we spent the fifth night at a lovely AirB&B in Cradock. This was probably our second worse night with Sonja where again, nothing we could do would calm her. However, we now knew that she would eventually fall asleep and that we would survive the night. In the final stretch we spent one last night in Bloemfontein before making it home.

So was it worth it? We think so. While SJ wont remember any of it, this trip gave us the confidence to travel with her and to continue making the most of our time in South Africa. Plus, how cool to have a picture of you next to a herd of elephants at 1-month of age!

South Africa on Sonjaja Travel Blog

Johannesburg - 1st Tour 2023-2025

Addo Elephant Park

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