Why my heritage is my pride:

Well, I guess I'm not very good at keeping surprises. It took me 0.02 seconds to spoil last week's mystery about how I feel about my background.

Oh well... Here's a little look into how I've come to adore my roots and how they continue to ground and shape me as a person today.

I hope you enjoy this special read. It hits close to home ;)

What inspires my journey?

I'm currently sitting in a little town in the UK countryside called Cheltenham. And honestly, I can't explain how quickly I fell in love with the beautiful landscapes and the uniquely polished British countryside culture that you will discover if you ever find yourself in the Cotswolds.

And I'm happy.... I'm very, very happy to find myself enjoying a beautiful walk to work every day through the gorgeous parks and past the lovely old architecture that you'd never find in SA. Some of these buildings are probably older than South Africa itself.

But boy oh boy, do I get reminded every single day that this is not my home.

Usually, it takes no more than two sentences into a conversation before someone asks:

"So, where are you from?"

At this point, I just laugh. My accent, my way of doing things, my energy...it all just gives me away. Turns out, you can run halfway across the world trying to escape South Africa... but as the saying goes:

You can take the girl out of South Africa, but you can't take South Africa out of the girl.

How exactly does this make me feel?

Pride isn't always loud. Sometimes it's quietly carried in how we walk, speak, and create.

And through all of these moments of people reminding me I'm not from here, I realized something: they're right. I'm not.

And I realized that there’s something more powerful to it. I'm proud of it. I'm owning it. I don't want to blend in or be mistaken for being from here. There's something deeply special about recognising your roots and having a chance to share them with others. It makes you feel grounded in who you've always been, even when you're far from home.

Being South African has shaped every part of me. I carry it in my humour, my references, and my perspective. I can even see it in my so-called "unculturedness" (as some would call it).

But I am cultured. I am part of an incredibly complex, vibrant, and proud culture back home. One that, no matter how far you run... will always pull you back in. Because South African culture loves you. It lives in you. You can fight it all you want... but eventually, you'll find yourself searching for South Africa everywhere you go.

So lately...

In a world that’s always in motion, with people chasing trends and rushing to the next best thing...I’ve come to realise that my greatest source of clarity, direction, and confidence doesn’t lie in what’s ahead of me. It lives in where I come from.

My roots. My heritage.

This month, I’ve taken a moment to pause. Not because I needed to escape, but because I wanted to realign with who I am, what I stand for, and the deeper meaning behind everything that I choose to create. And every time I do that, I return to the same truth:

The past is not my limit. It's my foundation.

It's easy to get lost in the modern world.

I grew up in a small town, surrounded by a young and close-knit family. My parents were still learning the ropes of life as they raised me...and looking back, I’m deeply grateful I had the chance to witness their growth firsthand. Watching them evolve, build, and become the people they are today gave me a quiet understanding of the difference that growth can make in shaping a person's life.

It's important to note that growth doesn't happen overnight, but with time and intention, you can reform and reshape your life in the most meaningful ways. That's why I hold the value of growth so close to my heart.

I’ve always drawn inspiration from both the men and women in my family.

Their strengths vary, but each one of them has shaped me in their way. From them, I learned elegance, resilience, softness, and fire. They taught me that power doesn’t come in one form. It can be loving, it can be fierce, and it can even (especially) appear through quiet consistency. Because of them, I’ve come to understand that heritage isn’t just something you inherit, but also something you choose to embody.

When I wanted to be anywhere but home

Looking back on my younger self... I used to push the idea of leaving South Africa for as long as I can remember. I thought I had to get out to become who I wanted to be. I romanticised a different life, bigger cities, and wider horizons. I always used to be so sure that when I moved to Hollywood to chase my big dreams, I would finally be complete.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still chasing those horizons... But what I've come to realize is:

I use to think "becoming" meant changing. Now I know that it means "evolving", without erasing where I began.

How my heritage travels with me

I was also in Cheltenham just a week ago... and it astonishes me how I find pieces of home everywhere I go.

That Friday night, I walked into a bar and spotted someone wearing a Springbok rugby shirt.

And just like that, my night led to a good old sokkie to club music. That's the thing about South Africa. Instantly familiar. Instantly warm.

It's a beautiful thing to be a part of. And looking back, it brings me sorrow that I ever tried to reject that part of myself.

South African Legacy in Motion

I’m currently in the process of building something meaningful. And while I won’t share too much yet, I will say this:

It is shaped by the beautiful values I’ve inherited from my past. My family, my small town, my country. These have all acted as frameworks for shaping the person I am today.

I want to share my love of my beautiful heritage with the world. Because when you start truly loving yourself, you begin to honour everything that's brought you to this moment.

My heritage reminds me to go slower, but deeper. To be intentional with every step and decision.

And to never forget the background that I stand on.

A Reflection, For You

If you’ve read this far, I’ll leave you with a question:

What part of your heritage do you carry with pride?

What lesson, memory, or tradition do you want to protect and pass on?

Maybe it’s how you start your mornings. Maybe it’s the smell of your grandmother's rusks baking in the kitchen. Or Jacaranda FM playing in the background while your day slowly comes to life.

And if you're a South African who's ever felt the way that I used to, rejecting our home... my advice would be:

Wake up. Eat some biltong. Dip an Ouma rusk in your morning koffie (I miss this so much). Organise a braai or Sunday lunch with people who feel like home.

And remember...

Anywhere else in the world, no one will understand just how special those little South African things are.

Shift your focus to gratitude.