A letter written by Mark Sham while sitting in a cold Paris Airport
As I type this, I’m at the airport in Paris waiting for my flight to Joburg. I’ve just spent 80 days in Zurich and as I sit here, I’m reflecting on my time in Zurich and my future in South Africa 
Whenever I travel, I’m reminded of a powerful Thomas Sowell quote: “There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.”
On paper, there are many things wrong with South Africa. So many, in fact that I don’t blame people for leaving. The last few weeks haven’t been lekker on social media. So much anger, frustration, and resentment from all sides. It’s easy to feel like everything is broken.
From my vantage point, most people think that leaving South Africa is a solution, when really all they’re doing is trading one set of pros and cons for another.
Whenever I’m away from South Africa, it becomes more clear to me that South Africans only grasp the intrinsic value of our beautiful country’s overlooked qualities when we’re on the other side of the world for a while. Once you’ve settled into a new country and the rose-tinted glasses come off, you’ll start noticing the things you don’t like there too.
And the reason why there’s no right or wrong answer to leaving your home country is because the trade-offs are all relative. Asking someone else if they’re happy they moved isn’t going to answer the question directly for you.
As strange as it may sound, I actually encourage people to leave if they really want to. We live in a global world, and just because you’re born somewhere doesn’t mean you have to stay there forever.
My only advice is this: make sure you have compelling reasons to arrive in a new country. Running away from something will only make the move harder than it already is.
I don’t blame anyone for wanting more from life. Sometimes a move will give you just that, and other times it will show you that you had the best of life at your fingertips all along.
The past three months in Zurich have reminded me that while South Africa has its challenges, it also has an abundance of things I deeply love; things that make my heart feel full in a way no other place can.
And so, as I board this flight home, I’m reminded that no country is without its problems (especially in Europe). All I know is, I want to be part of the solution back home and I hope you join me.
The post A gentle reminder and some refreshing perspective appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
As I type this, I’m at the airport in Paris waiting for my flight to Joburg. I’ve just spent 80 days in Zurich and as I sit here
The post A gentle reminder and some refreshing perspective appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
