For so long, our lives revolved around one question: When will we finally go?
There were forms, interviews, medical appointments, messages, and long stretches of waiting. We tried to prepare for a departure that sometimes felt close enough to touch and other times seemed impossibly far away.
And now, here we are.
Denver, Colorado.
Even as I write those words, they still feel a little unreal.
Our sunshine suitcases have arrived. Their owners are still finding their feet. 💜
A whole new list of questions
Before we left South Africa, so much of my attention was on getting here. There were goodbyes to get through, decisions to make, and a lifetime to squeeze into luggage.
Now the questions have changed.
Where is the nearest grocery store? How do we open a bank account? What work can we find? And what exactly makes a pair of boots suitable for a Colorado winter?
These might sound like ordinary questions. But when almost everything around you is unfamiliar, even an ordinary errand takes a little more thought.
You cannot bring all your local knowledge in a suitcase. You arrive knowing how to do so many things, then discover that you need to learn how to do some of them all over again.
I am learning to give myself time for that.
A jacket, a beanie, and some wool
We have started looking for winter clothes.
I bought a jacket. It is not purple, which is clearly something I will have to address eventually! There was a purple one, but it was too small. Apparently, loving a colour does not persuade a jacket to fit. 😂💜
There are still shoes to find and plenty of other things to figure out. But we are making progress, one practical purchase at a time.
And somewhere among all this newness, I have already started my first blanket here.
There is something comforting about working with wool while so much else needs your attention. My hands have something familiar to do. A few stitches become a row, and slowly, something useful begins to grow.
I cannot settle every question about our future today. But I can make another row.
The purple blanket is next, of course.
Grateful, tired, excited—all together
I am deeply grateful that we are here.
I am also discovering that gratitude leaves room for other feelings.
You can be excited about your new life and miss people back home. You can feel hopeful in the morning and overwhelmed by the afternoon. You can laugh about a purple jacket while carrying sadness that is harder to explain.
Leaving does not end your love for the people and places behind you.
There were real bonds in the life we left. Some goodbyes hurt more than I expected, and arriving somewhere new does not make those feelings disappear.
I am bringing that love with me as we begin making a life here.
What I am asking for now
During the waiting, I prayed for news, for movement, for the chance to leave.
Now my prayers include work, a home, guidance, and the patience to take things one day at a time.
There is still much to sort out. I do not have a neat ending to share, or a photograph of everything perfectly in place.
I have a jacket. A blanket in progress. A growing list of things to learn. And hope for what comes next.
If you are beginning again too, perhaps we can give ourselves permission to be beginners for a while. To ask questions. To celebrate small progress. To rest when an ordinary day has asked more of us than we expected.
This week, I am grateful to be here—and ready to make another row.
Keep Packing Sunshine.
With love from Denver,
☀️🧳💜
