Well… apparently I’ve been a little lazy. Okay, maybe somewhat lazy. Somewhat unsupervised. And, for the most part, spectacularly side-tracked. 😂 So yes… I haven’t been posting much. They say small things amuse small minds. Well, I’ve got news for them: Small minds can dream BIG, and sometimes the smallest things in life are the things worth celebrating the most. So, here we are… 🇺🇸 FOUR MONTHS IN AMERICA! 🇺🇸 Four months of ups, downs, unexpected turns, hurdles, paperwork, frustration, laughter, tears, and enough bureaucracy to make you question whether trees are secretly grown specifically to become government forms. It hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride. We lost a nephew in a tragic car accident, and one of the hardest parts was knowing we couldn’t simply get on a plane and go home to support his family. That one hurt. Then another nephew joined us on his own American adventure, while other family members received the dreaded INELIGIBLE letter less than 24 hours after their USCIS interview. Yeah… try making sense of that one. 🤦‍♂️ But I’ve learned something: Life doesn’t always ask permission before throwing something at you. Sometimes it just kicks the door open, throws a grenade into the living room and says, “Right… figure this one out.” And somehow… you do. In the middle of all of this, we managed to secure a reliable car 🚗, my wife started her job, and I have officially become WAY too unsupervised. Honestly, even I’m starting to worry about me. 😂 But as they say… The possibilities are endless. And boy oh boy… THEY ARE. We’re finally starting to explore America more and actually enjoy the adventure, especially on weekends. And because clearly we have questionable judgment, we have officially appointed @virami as our personal tour guide. So far, she’s doing a pretty damn good job. She has even agreed to sign the indemnity form. That’s how you know she’s committed. 😂 Every outing, every new place, every little discovery keeps reminding us just how incredibly privileged we are to have this opportunity. Is America perfect? Hell no. Nothing is. But every day we see a little more of this country, meet more people, experience more things and discover more possibilities, we realize just how lucky we are to be here. We left behind a life we knew. We left behind family, friends, possessions, familiarity and everything that made life comfortable in the sense of being known. We didn't come here because everything was easy. We came because we believed there could be something better. And four months later, despite all the challenges, frustrations and occasional moments of wondering “What the hell have we done?" I still believe we made the right decision. 🇺🇸 Thank you, America. And thank you to the Americans who have welcomed us, helped us, laughed with us, opened doors for us and made this strange new chapter feel a little more like home. There is, however, ONE final boss standing between me and complete happiness… ❄️ WINTER. ❄️ Winter is coming. And I am NOT a winter person. My wheelchair and snow are about to have a relationship neither of us asked for. But… I survived a car accident that left me quadriplegic. I survived being attacked in our home I survived being told my life was over. I survived losing almost everything. I survived getting to America. So I’m pretty sure I can survive a little snow. Probably. Maybe. Ask me again in February. 😂 For now, we’re going to keep exploring, keep learning, keep laughing, keep appreciating the little things… …and hopefully I’ll stop being lazy, unsupervised and side-tracked long enough to actually POST SOMETHING AGAIN. 😂 Four months down. A whole lifetime of possibilities to go. 🇺🇸❤️♿ One wheel forward. Always.

GOOD MORNING, SATURDAY! ☀️😂 Nephew has officially landed safely, survived the journey, and is now settled in. 🇺🇸✈️ Which means there is only one logical thing to do… 🚗💨 ROADTRIP! We’re heading out for the day, and all I can say is: OHIO… HOLD ON! We take **ZERO accountability** for anything that happens today. 🤣 If you see us on the road… No you didn’t. 👀😂 If you hear strange noises… That’s the GPS. If something falls off the car… It was probably supposed to do that. And if we get lost… It’s called exploring. 🗺️😂 Have an absolutely lekker Saturday, everyone! 🇺🇸❤️ Buckle up. Behave yourselves. Or at least make it look convincing. 😎

This will never stop, I agree it's not just a song

🚨 Is South Africa becoming the testing ground for Amazon’s future? Watch this video and ask yourself: Is this really the direction we want America to go? A program linked to Amazon Web Services in South Africa reportedly requires participating businesses to be 100% Black-owned, excluding companies with white shareholders. Amazon says it is meeting South Africa’s B-BBEE requirements. But here’s the question Americans should be asking: 👉 Could policies like this ever become acceptable in America? No whites allowed? Race determining who gets economic opportunities? South Africa has lived with race-based policies for decades. We know where division can lead. I came to America believing that opportunity should be based on ability, hard work and character, not the color of your skin. So… is this simply a South African program responding to South African law, or are we looking at a potential preview of where corporate America could be heading? What do YOU think?

So… QUICK UPDATE! 😂 The day started off looking like it had already had enough coffee and was still pissed off. ☕😒 But somehow, somewhere along the way, the universe decided to hit RECALCULATING… 🗺️😂 After chatting with our agency, it was determined that he would be going to a branch of our agency in Michigan. Needless to say, they immediately put in a transfer request… AND IT GOT APPROVED! 🎉🎉🎉 Which means… 🥁🥁🥁 HE’S COMING TO JOIN US! 🇺🇸❤️ We’ve definitely had our moments with our agency. There have been frustrations, confusion, head-scratching moments, and a few occasions where we probably needed to count to 10… or 10,000. 😂 BUT when we needed them the most, they came through. And for that, we are genuinely grateful. 🙏❤️ My dad always said: “Don’t burn bridges, even when you feel like blowing the damn thing to pieces.” 😂 Turns out Dad knew what he was talking about! Now the real fun begins. 😜 We can help him save some money BY STAYING WITH US, get settled, figure out this crazy American adventure, and hopefully get him standing on his own two feet, figuratively speaking, as quickly as possible. 🇺🇸💪😂 One less worry. One more family member closer. And one more reason to celebrate tonight! 🥳❤️ WELCOME TO THE FAMILY ADVENTURE, BRO! The plot twist was a good one after all! 😂🇺🇸 Soon Pinky and the Brain will be reunited.

Not exactly the best start to the day… 😕🇺🇸 Our nephew has officially been approved to come to America! 🎉🇺🇸 Fantastic news… except for one small detail: He’s going to another state. 😭😂 He listed us as US Ties on his application, and during ALL his interviews it was confirmed. So naturally, we thought, “Awesome! Family coming to America and he’ll be close to us!” He emailed @CWS_global He phoned @CWS_global. The response? “Sorry, we didn’t look at the tie… but it’s too late to do anything about it now.” 🤦‍♂️😂 Well… at least we know the paperwork was safely filed somewhere. Reading it was apparently an optional extra. 🤣 He’s disappointed. We’re disappointed. But we're also incredibly grateful that he’s coming. ❤️ He’s a hard worker, determined, and we know he’ll be fine wherever he lands. That state just has no idea what’s coming. 😂 So welcome to America, nephew! 🇺🇸❤️ We’re disappointed with how this was handled, but never disappointed that you’re coming. Now… if anyone sees a little box on the application that says “US TIES: PLEASE ACTUALLY READ THIS”, maybe circle it in red next time. 😂🤦‍♂️

🐿️💀 MAN HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE FINAL BOSS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 😂 Man + dog: “Let’s enjoy a nice peaceful phone call.” Squirrel: “ABSOLUTELY NOT.” 😡🐿️ This squirrel woke up this morning and chose VIOLENCE. It attacks the man. It attacks the dog. Man fights it off… IT COMES BACK. 😳 Man think it’s finally over… WRONG. 😂 This little fur-covered psychopath has apparently declared war on the entire human race AND the canine population. Man: “GO AWAY!” Squirrel: “I SAID THIS IS MY STREET.” Dog: “WOOF!” Squirrel: “YOU WANNA GO TOO, FUR BOY?!” At this point, the man and dog aren't enjoying life… THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL. 😂😂😂 That squirrel doesn't need nuts. THAT SQUIRREL NEEDS THERAPY. 🐿️💀 Don't believe me? Watch the video 🤣

Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday.😁 We decided to go outside for some fresh air and a little Vitamin D. ☀️😎 Just a nice, peaceful walk around the neighborhood… Then we came across THIS. 🎃💀 Apparently, even the local Halloween decorations were like: “Welcome to America, buddy. You thought you were just going for a walk?” 😂 So there I am, casually cruising past a giant pumpkin skeleton and a witch, wondering if I should be concerned that they’re judging my wheelchair skills. 👻♿️ Vitamin D: ✅ Fresh air: ✅ Exercise: Debatable. 😂 Survival of the neighborhood Halloween decorations: Still under investigation. 🎃 Honestly, America continues to surprise us around every corner! 🇺🇸❤️ I know it's still early but love how people are starting to get into the spirit here in America. Something that has been gone missing for the most part in SA.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: SHE GOT THE ...!!! 🚨 After what feels like approximately 17 years, 4 months, 63 days and several lifetimes of job hunting… my wife has officially found a job! 😂 It started with the applications. And by applications, I mean COUNTLESS resumes sent into the great black hole of the internet, where apparently resumes go to die. 📄💀 Apply. Wait. No response. Apply again. Wait. Question your entire existence. Apply again. Check email 47 times. Nothing. Then… FINALLY… an online interview! 🎉 We thought, “This is it!” But apparently that was only Level 1 of the boss fight. 😂 Next came TWO face-to-face interviews. The first one went well. Then came the second… And that interview lasted ONE AND A HALF HOURS! 😳 At that point I wasn't sure if she was applying for a job or negotiating a peace treaty between two countries. 😂 Then came the hardest part… THE WAIT. You know that magical period where every email notification causes your heart to stop? “DING!” 📧 Her: “Is that them?” Me: “I don't know!” Her: checks phone Amazon. 🤦‍♂️ Repeat approximately 900 times. And then… 🎉 THE PHONE CALL CAME. 🎉 SHE GOT THE JOB!!! ❤️🇺🇸 After all those applications, interviews, waiting, worrying, and wondering if anyone had actually read a single word on those resumes… SHE DID IT! I am incredibly proud of her. ❤️ Now comes the next chapter… SHE HAS A JOB. Which means apparently I have to start behaving like a responsible husband again. This could be dangerous. 😂😂😂 CONGRATULATIONS, MY LOVE! ❤️ You earned this one! 🥳🇺🇸

🌙 BREAKING NEWS FROM THE X NIGHT DESK 🌙 It has come to my attention that darkness is once again ascending over X. 😱 The ancient battle between the ☀️ Sun and 🌙 Moon is underway, and sadly… the Moon appears to be taking over. 😂 Fear not, brave keyboard warriors of X. Go get some sleep. 😴 The Sun is currently regrouping, sharpening its rays, and preparing for a MASSIVE COMEBACK tomorrow morning. ☀️💪 Rest well, dream big, and remember… The Moon may win the night, but the Sun always gets the rematch. 😂 Good night, X! 🌙❤️

So today our PIR (Program of Initial Resettlement) section officially closed. Apparently, after being here for 3 months, they have decided we are ready to be released into the wild. 😂 There is still some support available to us, mostly advice and guidance, and apparently that continues for the next five years. Which is comforting… although I’m not entirely sure what they’ll be advising us on. “Good luck, refugees. You’ve got this.” 😂 What really surprised us, though, was going through the paperwork to see what had actually been completed. Page after page had things scratched out with the words: “Refugee did it themselves.” And I’m sitting there thinking… Do they not feel even a tiny bit of shame looking at how much of the work their "client" ended up doing? 😂 At this point, I feel like we ordered a pizza. The pizza shop gave us some of the ingredients, showed us where the kitchen was, and then said: “Right, you make it.” So we made the pizza. We cooked it. We cleaned the kitchen. We served ourselves. And then someone handed us the bill for the full pizza. Walking out, I’m thinking: “Wait… did I just pay for the pizza, or did I pay for the EXPERIENCE of making the damn pizza?” 🍕😂 The MG portion, which is supposed to help us with things like finding work, is still going for another three months. But, you guessed it… We’re doing most of that ourselves too. 😂 BUT… And this is the part that really matters. We are here. We made it. We are building a new life, and despite all the frustrations, delays, paperwork, confusion and the occasional feeling that we are apparently our own resettlement agency… We are incredibly grateful to be here. Coming to America is, without a doubt, the best decision we have ever made. So, at the end of the day, I can laugh about the pizza, shake my head at the paperwork and wonder exactly what we signed up for… But none of that changes the biggest thing: We got our chance. 🥳 Thank you, President Trump, for giving us that opportunity. But most of all, thank you to the American people. ❤️ Thank you for opening your country to us, for accepting us, for helping us, and for the kindness and support so many of you have shown our family. We will never take that for granted. We came here looking for a future. We found one. God bless America. 🇺🇸❤️

🌙 GOOD NIGHT, FRIENDS! Time to close the apps, put the phone down, and pretend tomorrow I’m going to be productive. Spoiler alert: I said the same thing yesterday. 😂 Sleep well, dream big, and may your alarm clock have mercy on you tomorrow. 😴😂 Good night, everyone! 🌙

The past few days have left me somewhere between frustrated, angry, and honestly… absolutely pissed. I struggle to understand how someone can enter a refugee program, do little or no research about what they’re walking into, get on a plane alone, arrive in a completely new country, venture out of their hotel room only once to go to a shop, and then, just four days later, decide they want to go back to South Africa. Obviously, there is a lot more to the story, and I’m not going to get into the personal details. But here’s what I will say: This is not destination shopping. This is not a vacation. This is starting your entire life over. Especially when you’re doing it alone, it can be overwhelming, frightening, lonely, and incredibly difficult. That’s exactly why you need to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally before you ever get on that plane. Spend five minutes researching what to expect. Talk to people who have already made the journey. Understand the challenges. Know that there will be days when you question everything. Because while someone walks away after four days, someone else who desperately wanted that opportunity never even got the chance. And that is the part that really hurts. How can someone who appears to be struggling so severely with their mental health and depression be approved, while so many others receive ineligibility letters for reasons that seem impossible to understand? I know there are processes, criteria, and circumstances that I don’t know about. I’m not pretending I have all the answers. I’m just struggling with the fairness of it. There are people who would have fought through almost anything for the chance to build a safer, better future for their families. And sometimes it feels like that opportunity is being wasted. Just my rant for the day.

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