Why we packed our bags and moved to Cape Town!
Updated: May 6, 2020
Have you ever had a dream that you talked about so much with someone, but for whatever reason it always got delayed? Well this was the case for me and my husband John. Since we first started dating, almost 8 years ago now, we would talk about a hypothetical future- one that involved living in a sunny country, spending all of our time playing in the ocean; surfing, free diving and snorkelling! In the more recent years our Sunday mornings would be spent chatting for hours over a coffee about possible countries to move to, what jobs we would do and how we would acquire visas. We even had spread sheets and lists of pros and cons, but making the decision to actually take the leap and go for one of them was easier said than done!
Finally, at the start of summer, 2019, we took the first big step of making our dream a reality- we quit our jobs. Suddenly the ideas were no longer hypothetical and some real planning was required! Quickly!
We get asked the same question a lot ‘Why are you moving to Cape Town?’, and we both agree that there isn’t one clear answer! Importantly for us, John was born in South Africa, so is a South African citizen….and that was definitely one of the main reasons we eventually picked Cape Town as our chosen destination. It made it much easier for John to find work and meant that only I had to figure out the confusing, stressful and long process of applying for a visa! But on top of that, Cape Town really did tick a lot of the boxes for us- the prospect of living in a city surrounded by mountains and full of nature, stunning beaches and beautiful scenery was exciting. We could live by the beach, go surfing, hiking, trail running and rock climbing. It was warm and sunny for a lot of the year and I would be fine speaking English.
Fast forward a few more months and on October 14th, 2019, we packed up 4 suitcases and made our way to the airport to fly to Cape Town. We were so excited to see what was ahead, but all of a sudden things felt very real as we waved our families goodbye. It was a mixture of excitement and nerves, but after months of planning, this was it, it was time to start our new adventure!!
Everything has been an exciting challenge so far and I have already learnt so much from the experience; from flat hunting in a new country and buying a car, to getting used to the constant load shedding (electrical power shutdowns) and crazy city driving! BUT we are so pleased that we are here and are enjoying getting to know our new home. We now don’t have to look back in 10 years time and think ‘what if’.
More updates to come soon. Join us on our journey for travel tips and inspiration!
Tasha x.