"How does it feel to be back?", I was asked more times than I can remember. And my answer, heartfelt and enthusiastic, was always, "Great!".
It was wonderful to be back in South Africa, my home from 2001 to 2006. It's a country full of inspiring people and places, and it is close to my heart. So why did my return also leave me with a sense of unease, a feeling that the country is in danger of losing its way?
My four-year absence might disqualify me from coming to too many conclusions. But a one-month return also enabled me to notice changes that people caught up in the country's day-to-day struggles may not appreciate.
I'm well aware that South Africa's post-apartheid journey has been punctuated by wild mood swings, and that many of my own friends have, over the years, lurched between feelings of despair and elation over their country's prospects.
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