Leave the great indoorsnotes on the journey

So go unlock the door
And find what you are here for
Leave the great indoors
Leave the great indoors

I started this blog when I first moved to the US with only a backpack and my guitar almost 6 years ago, and I named it “Leave the great indoors” because these John Mayer lyrics resonated so well with that strange mix of bewilderment and excitement you feel when you start a new adventure that turns your life upside down (and makes you feel so ridiculously alive).

A lot has changed over the past 6 years as I got married to my lovely American wife and we got settled into day-to-day life.  But unfortunately so much has stayed the same, and over the past year or so Jess and I have grown increasingly restless in our comfortable indoors.  It is a testament to the success and brilliance of America just how easy it is to live here.  Everything just, well, works.  Sure, America is not without its problems, but let’s agree on one simple fact: it works.

Ironically, in that blessing that is the American Dream also lies the country’s biggest curse: the undeniable draw into all-consuming consumerism and complacency.  You can end up defining yourself by things like how big your car is or how quickly you can get promoted at work — and let’s face it, there are more important things in life.  It is this slow descent into just another branded life that brought Jess and I to a point where we finally made the decision we always knew we’d make at some point in our lives: moving back to South Africa.

Donald Miller, in his book A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, perfectly sums up the thought process that brought us to this point:

If [it's true about] a good story being a condensed version of life — that is, if story is just life without the meaningless scenes — I wondered if life could be lived more like a good story in the first place.  I wondered if a person could plan a story for his life and live it intentionally.

So now, once again, we are in the process of leaving the great indoors to write a new story.  Moving back to South Africa was always our long-term plan — we were just waiting for the right time.  We have since realized that there is never a “right time” for major life changes, you just need to jump in.

I also realized that there are already enough blog posts and stories about expats who moved back to South Africa, and the reasons why they did it.  And yes, all those reasons apply to us: the beautiful scenery, the amazing people, being close to family, the vitality of a country in flux, the excitement of being a part of something bigger than yourself, and of course, just because it is impossible to get Africa out of your blood.

But in the end, the reason that ended up being the tipping point for us is something a little less romantic, a little more universal.  We are tired of being complacent. Sure, you don’t need to move countries to get out of that funk, and everyone’s story is different.  But our story needs this.  For us, moving back is the fulfillment of the quintessential African Dream: to find a place where you can get your hands dirty and help build a nation with limitless potential.

Yes, it won’t be easy.  But to quote Donald Miller again:

When we watch the news [and stories about violence come on], we grieve all of this, but when we go to the movies, we want more of it.  Somehow we realize that great stories are told in conflict, but we are unwilling to embrace the potential greatness of the story we are in.  We think God is unjust, rather than a master storyteller.

So we are ready for this story, and all the conflict it may bring.  We’ll see you in the Silicon Cape in March of 2010.

Does your story need a little conflict?  Make it happen!