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For years on end, I had always dreamt of the day I would finally get the opportunity to experience both the beauty and terror of the famously known, rainbow nation, called South Africa. Being from Zimbabwe, life in South Africa was always romanticised, yet also in the same breath, filled with stories of crime that sparked a great deal of fear in me the same way they did excitement when my cousins told me of their amazing experiences. It was in December 2008 that I finally got to live my dream. It was going to be a 12-hour bus drive at most, from Bulawayo to the ‘City of Gold’, Johannesburg. My mother had been living there for a year and she had told me of the places she was going to take me to. My excitement made me oblivious to the number of hours I would have to spend on the bus. Instead, I was already practising my little graspings of one of the local languages, SePedi. “Dumelang”, “dumelang lekae” “rehona, lona lekae?”, I kept on repeating to myself. This was how I would be greeting the people. I had to at least sound like a local. Well, at least for the first thirty seconds when greeting strangers. I remember being woken up by the excited chatter on the bus. After the long queues at the border, I had passed out from the fatigue. Clearly, I was not the only one who was thrilled about travelling to the city we all preferred to call ‘Jozi’. The time was 21:00 and the sky was already as dark as my favourite “Toughees” school shoes. Yet this darkness was made even more beautiful by the glimmering lights of the sky crappers that seemed to be fighting amongst themselves to reach the sky and light it up with all their glory. I saw the famous Telkom Tower and knew right then and there what it felt like to finally live my dream. Although I had missed my mother, there is nothing that I had longed for, more than I had, the warm welcome hug and soothing kiss, Jozi, generously gave to me. The drive to what would be my home for the next month was quite enchanting. I suddenly knew what Anne-Shirley in ‘Anne-Shirley’ of Green Gables, had felt when she first moved to Green Gables. I was left in awe. The beautiful architecture spoke volumes of the creativity of the people of this nation. The roads so smooth, I felt I was being transported on some magical flying carpet. Everything in this place spoke of the luxury I knew deep within me I truly deserved. I could not wait to experience the city in the day time. My second day in this city described most of how I felt during my visit there. The street food felt so homely, it made me feel safe and part of the community. The street performers were a sight to be admired. How they carried culture within them in a very modern time made me wish I had had the same privilege of growing up in a country that preserved its own culture. The beauty of Africa is not contained in one country but you can always see Africa through the eyes of one country. On my return back home, there was one thing I was certain of. If God truly answered prayers the way he had answered mine about visiting South Africa, He would have to be prepared to answer my next one of granting me citizenship there. Jozi had been so good to me, I would have been out of my mind not to want to move there permanently.