Homesick Over Chicken Schnitzels… Yes, Really
When you emigrate, you miss the big things. Family. Friends. Home. All the time. What you don’t expect is how much the small things can get to you. For me, it’s Woolworths food. And more specifically… Woolies chicken schnitzels. I know how ridiculous that sounds. We live in the USA, where you can get just […]
Vegas, Volume, and Why We Choose Experiences
A few weeks ago, we landed in Las Vegas. I had seen it in movies. I had heard the stories. Nothing prepares you.You walk out of your hotel during the day and it feels like a busy city, almost ordinary. Heat rising off the pavement. Tourists with coffees. Traffic humming along. Then night falls… and […]
When You Can’t Change the Circumstance, Change the Lens
Yesterday I had a conversation with my 11-year-old son that made me think. He’s been thriving since joining his middle school football team here in the U.S. – training hard, earning his place in the starting lineup, loving every minute. And then, two weeks ago… injury. After X-rays and MRIs, he was diagnosed with a […]
Two Hemispheres, One Heart 🇿🇦 🎄 🇺🇸
Back home in South Africa, summer is in full swing. Schools have wrapped up, “Dezemba” is in the air, and the rhythm slows into long, sunny days, braais, beach holidays, and that familiar end-of-year exhale. Meanwhile here in the U.S., school is still in session until just before Christmas. The air is cold, the evenings […]
Red, White, and Wow 🇺🇸 — Our First 4th of July as Green Card Holders
We’re not U.S. citizens (yet), but this year’s 4th of July felt especially meaningful — our first as permanent residents, and another milestone on this wild, wonderful emigration journey. We celebrated in true America fashion:Golf cart parades 🛺 , flag-themed everything 🇺🇸, fireworks 🎆 , lemonade stands 🍋 , dogs in bandanas 🐶, the works. […]
Am I a U.S. Tax Resident? A Guide for South Africans Moving to America
Understand the green card and substantial presence tests, residency starting dates and why immigration and tax status are not identical.
I’ve acquired a new skill!
This week, I made my first batch of biltong — and honestly, I’m not sure if I was more proud of the result or the fact that my whole house now smells like home.There’s something magical about the taste of biltong ❤️ — that unmistakable mix of coriander, vinegar and nostalgia that instantly transports you […]
Finding My Tribe, Thousand of Kilometres from Home 🇿🇦 👭 🇺🇸
When we moved to the U.S., I thought: Well, at least we won’t have a language barrier. Turns out, I was wrong. Yes, we all technically speak English — but between the accents, the slang, and the “Sorry, are you British?” moments… it sometimes feels like we’re translating in real time. One of the greatest […]
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Emigrating from SA to USA 🇿🇦➡️🇺🇸
The Good: Amazon You cannot really compare Amazon and Takealot. Need a garlic press by tomorrow morning? Done. A weird charger for a toy dinosaur? Already en route. A dog Halloween costume at 9 p.m.? Of course. Same-day or next-day delivery is now a lifestyle. Sadly, it makes for a culture of consumerism and instant […]
The Time Zone Tug
I felt very disconnected… by the “time-zone tug” 🇿🇦 🕒 🇺🇸 🕘 From my people. From my rhythm. From the time on the clock. One of the most unexpected challenges of emigrating to the U.S. wasn’t the paperwork or packing or even missing my family— it was the quiet, constant disconnection caused by time itself. […]
The Moment You Realise You’re Not Visiting Anymore 🇿🇦 🏘️ 🇺🇸
For a long time after we arrived in the U.S., life felt temporary. Even though we had moved here (with nothing left in South Africa), even though the kids were in school and we were building businesses and routines, there was still this feeling in the background that we were somehow just… passing through. Maybe […]