Anticipation is a familiar feeling that often visits us. Waiting for something exciting, like a holiday, a visit from someone, or a celebration, makes me tingle with delight. I find the anticipation sometimes as fun as the event itself!

Anticipation for a travel experience with my mom

A memorable moment of anticipation was when we took my mom to see the tulips at Keukenhof in Amsterdam in 2016. It was her first time travelling overseas, and the excitement was palpable.

During our trip, my sister, Ansa, stayed at our home in Cape Town to look after the children. The nieces and nephews enjoyed two weeks of fun and togetherness while we were away. They were excited about our return and greeted us warmly and enthusiastically. The exchange of stories and experiences we shared upon returning was just as enjoyable as the trip.

For me, the most enjoyable part of anticipating a positive experience is the planning and preparation. I can spend hours researching, making lists, and organizing everything. As the day of the experience approaches, both my excitement and anxiety grow. Three months before our journey, my mother travelled 1,000 kilometres by bus to visit us so we could assist her with her visa application. We considered this part of the shared adventure.

It was all worth it, and we often during our regular calls reminisce about the beautiful, colourful moments we experienced.

The anticipation for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

We visited Paris in May this year, and the construction and scaffolding throughout the city indicated preparations for the Olympic Games. We could feel the anticipation building for this significant event. At that time, Paris was in the final phase of preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games. A countdown board displayed how many days remained, much like an advent calendar leading up to Christmas.

As a tourist, I shared the excitement with others about this grand event, which involved 10,500 participants and organisers who had worked incredibly hard. I felt compassion for the organisers and project managers, imagining the immense pressure they faced under the world’s watchful eyes to complete everything on time.

Paris hosted the Olympic Games twice before. The 1900 Olympics were significant as they were the first held outside Greece and marked the first participation of women. The 1924 Olympics in Paris saw a notable increase in the size and scope of the Games, with standardised rules and extensive media coverage worldwide.

The 2024 Olympic Games were a tremendous success. People remember it for many reasons. It was the first to achieve gender equality in participation. An equal number of female and male athletes participated in the world’s largest sporting event. I believe the organisers look back on their hard work with great satisfaction.

We anticipate a visit from the Kalahari

This year brings great excitement for my sister Ansa’s children. We agreed the time had arrived for Marga, a second-year student, and Altus, a tenth-grader, to visit us in Switzerland in December.

A significant amount of preparation and uncertainty is associated with this visit. Marga and Altus had to obtain passports as a first step. South Africa has many immigration requirements regarding the travel of minor children, such as Altus. The Van Zyl family had to drive 700 kilometres to Pretoria for the Schengen visa application, bringing a thick pack of forms and certified copies of critical documentation. Their appointment was early morning, which required them to overnight in Pretoria. They will repeat this journey to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport on December 9 for their Emirates flight.

There are many firsts associated with this visit for them. This visit will be their first flight experience, their first time outside the borders of South Africa, their first winter Christmas, and hopefully, their first snow experience. Additionally, they live in the Kalahari, where summer temperatures can easily exceed 40 degrees Celsius, and the winter is short. The frigid European winter weather and long cold days in a country where people speak a foreign language will undoubtedly be a new experience for them.

Meanwhile, we here in Switzerland are bubbling over with excitement. We regularly discuss everything we want to show them and the experiences we wish to share. The anticipation is immense, and we count the days until their arrival.

Anticipation poem

The beautiful poem by Patience Strong entitled Anticipation describes it so well.

Kind regards

Emsia