Fresh out of university, Ron Stevens discovers the joys of craft beer, yoga, the Cape Town lifestyle…and why even the big changes in life are worth embracing.
My summer holiday after finishing university was strange. I knew the next year was going to be a big one but had no idea what to expect. It was almost like the time I finished high school in Oudtshoorn and had what felt like the longest holiday in my life. But this was bigger.
I had a job. It was for a small tech communications consultancy in Cape Town that needed a junior to ‘do stuff’. From the interview it seemed it would be everything from invoicing to sorting out coffee to research.
So I had a job that my degree in Management Accounting from Stellenbosch had definitely not prepared me for. I had a few friends in my new home city, and no clue what life would be like once I had to start buying my own groceries, doing laundry and paying rent. It was suddenly all very grown up.
The first day: Stressful. But also exhilarating. I asked a lot of questions and didn’t always understand the answers. Every day of the first two weeks of work was like the first day over and over again.
Everything was so new. The euphoria and elation of my new life lasted a full two months. Then came the realisation: “This is it. This is working.” I don’t get a pass mark to know I am doing okay. I don’t get to lurk at the back when I’ve had a big night. And these people appear to be – against better judgment – depending on me!
There is, however, a silver lining. For the first time in my life I have the chance to completely reimagine myself. Since everything is so fresh and crazy in this new life, the fear of trying something new has disappeared. I had a haircut, tried craft beer, and started yoga classes.
I’ve always been curious about yoga, but I never took myself seriously enough to give it a go. Now I can pay for the classes with my own money.
I have found the most amazing hidden beaches and learnt that not getting any sleep over the weekend makes the bosses a lot grumpier than I expected.
On my first night in Cape Town, I went to see a hometown friend . I was chatting to his older brother who had been staying in Cape Town for some time. He gave me what proved to be highly valuable and practical advice. “Just hang low for the first month or so until you’ve found your vibe in the city. After that, get going dude!”
It was the best advice I could’ve asked for. We all want things to fall into place immediately, and we become anxious or impatient when they don’t. Hang in there. Starting out in a new place takes time, but if you have your eyes set on your goals and you work towards them every day, at some point the life you’ve envisioned will start to materialise.
That’s when you’ll begin to understand how wonderful and necessary these changes really are. There is something magical about it all.
And just in case you were wondering: seeing that SMS notification from your bank at the end of each month…yeah. It feels pretty good.
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