What I Missed About Home.

The border was a nightmare. I spent three hours waiting to cross the border. When I dropped off I was exhausted and wondered why I was even making the effort. Then I saw my dad waiting for me and I knew why I was going through all the hustle of travelling during Christmas.

It had been four months without being in Zimbabwe and nothing had changed. The roads were terrible, the heat unbearable and electricity power-cuts were still alive. I got home and I slumped onto my own bed in my own room. I cannot begin to explain how I felt. It felt amazing! I was home. And nothing beats being home. Nothing! Not even free Wi-Fi.

Home is not perfect but it has this familiarity I had missed. I feel happy and bored. Trust me being bored is a good thing. Waking up in the morning and not having a set schedule, waking up without kick starting or looking at the clock is liberating. I honestly just love being a couch potato and catching up on my reading. I have Poisonwood Bible, Americanah and Are You Afraid of the Dark waiting for me. I have time to myself, to see my childhood friends who I grew up with and are marvelling at how much wiser I sound.

I missed eating with my hands, licking my fingers and going back to the kitchen to take some more. I missed talking to my father about politics, about music and laughing as he calls the news presenter ugly and scary. I missed my niece bugging me, us fighting over the remote because she wants to watch Disney and I want to watch Trace or CNN. I missed sleeping in on a cloudy overcast day like this one.

I did not particularly miss the heat, or the atrocious internet network! I am typing this at superfast speed so just the connection just does not cut off. I did not miss some of the people I left behind at home but without all this it just would not be home.

I had Sadza and Tripe last night and today I woke up and thought standing at the border for an eternity was definitely worth it. I get time to sit and reflect and look over the past four months and sometimes laugh at the decisions I made. Or smile at the small but important steps I made into becoming me. I am home and I am content. If you are reading this and at home then count yourself lucky but if you are reading this and are away from home do not sulk or feel bad. Enjoy what you are doing right now and the company you are with. Home will always be there waiting for you.