Lately I have been feeling a little stifled in our small village. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Midlands (obviously) and I have lived here all my life, bar university and three years in the working world. It is my home and it’s where I have planted my roots and where I rest my weary soul, but man… sometimes I feel a little… confined. I miss having an entire city to explore, with lots of nooks and crannies to discover containing a million hidden gems. I miss the anonymity of walking into a grocery store where no one knows your name or where you work or who you’re married to or who your parents are. I miss the open-mindedness. I miss the freedom. I miss the space between people, the respect for others and the choice to get lost. In particular, I have been missing the mother city a lot lately and this is probably because the large majority of the blogs I read are by Cape Town bloggers. I would probably never move back there (unless I became uber rich and could afford a second (summer) house there – ha ha ha. Chances), but it doesn’t mean I don’t miss living there.
Cape Town, this is what I miss about you most:
Runs and walks on the promenade. When my friend, Bryony and I used to pound the pavement back in 2009, we’d always see dolphins or whales on our walks – it was magical.
The Olde Biscuit Mill. Always the best cocktails and wine and beer and nom-noms. Always new and original stuff. Markets in KZN must be run by extremists, because there is NEVER booze sold there. What’s the point of a lunchtime market without some vino and haybales to lounge on? There is no point.
My petrol bill. I used to fill up my tank once a month in Cape Town, two at a push. Here it’s once a week. ka-Ching.
Kloof Street. Bree Street. Long Street. LOTS of little cafes, boutiques, bars, vintage shops and restaurants in one place.
The burgers at Royale.
The beaches being so close. I used to work from home a lot in Cape Town – it was the best. I’d wake up early, do all my work by lunchtime and then hit the beach every afternoon. It was literally five minutes away. Sigh.
My tan. (see above)
Wine farms. ‘Nuff said.
The people. The creatives and the loonies. No small-town bitchiness and rumour millage. People just living their own lives, keeping their noses out of others’ beeswax.
Kirstenbosch picnics and open-air concerts. The feeling of being part of a crowd, but being your own person at the same time.
Hikes up Lion’s Head.
All You Can Eat Sushi and Half-Price Cocktails.
COUNTRY ROAD.
Taking the train to Kalk Bay.
Kalk Bay.
Hout Bay.
Camps Bay.
Crazy people who wear what they want, say what they feel and just generally don’t give a shit.
The colourful houses at Bo Kaap.
All the flaming gays. There are NO gays here.
Restaurants that actively strive to provide you with healthy, yummy food. Usually organic and grown in the backgarden.
My little brother, Jonathan. Haven’t heard from him in a while – anyone know if he is still alive?
And that’s about it for now. I know I probably sound ungrateful and should be appreciative of what I have and where I live – which is why I will write a post tomorrow on what I love about living in the Midlands. But for now, let me revel in my Cape Town missingness.
These are all my pics except the Bo Kaap one which I got here. 
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