The last time I left South Africa, I had planned to return 19 days later. Then Covid-19 happened. 19 days turned into 233 days. I feel silly because that is only about 7.5 months & I know that people have been away from home for longer, but it was the longest I was away for. On top of that, a health crisis happened in my country. (Yes, I’m very well aware that it is a global crisis) However, after 233 days, I finally returned to South Africa. The Government eased restrictions on the 1^st of October & finally allowed international travel.

Maybe the pandemic forced me to grow up or maybe I was simply too naïve before, but I learnt that nothing in this life is more important than the people in your life. I moved to the Gulf for a job – financial stability. Seems pretty shallow in…