South Africa in 30,1 kg

It is simply not possible to fit 7 month into backpacks and suitcases!

Even considering the sea of overweight hand luggage items, which made the whereabouts of my trip the conversation topic of one third of Emirates Economy class -impossible!

Even counting in the additional loose plastic bags filled with wine bottles, my laptop and camera, hats and sweaters - most unlikely!

I am sitting in my friends' apartment in Cape Town. Clothing, books and bags scattered all around me literally. Me sitting on this floor sorting it out. Giving away to people in the township of Kayelitsha as much as I can bear to leave behind. The living room of my friends place looked like I am going through a divorce.

South Africa and me are splitting up!

"This is mine, this I will leave here for you! Dare you take my belongings without me noticing in the last days!" "Why do I have to leave? Can we not try to make it work for longer?" "South Africa, you know still love you. Although I have to leave you, can we at least stay friends?"

Not even Table Mountain wants to show up to observe the calm before the storm of the final break-up. Covered in clouds as if photoshopped very sporadically with a basic white brush tool.

Being realistic, Cape Town must see this all the time. Nothing new - people leaving, people arriving all at the foot of Table Mountain - daily even. You must develop immunity at some point if you are the one always staying behind. I totally get why Table Mountain showed up 0nly at the last moment for a very quick goodbye! The one that is leaving is obviously disagreeing. Arguing like people often do at the end of an intense relationship - "It was special and irreplaceable. No really, it is different for me than for all those other people that Cape Town was with. It was real, we had a special connection!" Good thing I realized throughout the travelling in Africa that this would be emotionally-driven false reasoning. South Africa is big enough for sharing anyways ;)

Besides the many stamps in my passport, memorable photographs, my travel diaries and other documentations, it is the people that shaped my South Africa experience. All those other people that have this special connection with South Africa, people who I shared the experiences and memories with are living prove that the past 7 month actually happened. "Sharing is caring", something we frequently said on our trip is indeed a very true statement. Definitely do I care for the ones I shared my time, wine, travelling and experiences with! A connection that is lasting as it is securely locked in heads and hearts!

People say it is great to travel light but honestly, the heaviness of an intense 7 month is a weight which is worth carrying!


So bring on more bags and boxes.
We've got something to take away, something to carry back home to Germany!

This is it, we living. Happy.