For a long time I have been trying to find an activity that my father and I can do together. We share few interests. From time to time we have talked about taking a trip somewhere in South Africa or even overseas, but such vague plans are difficult to carry out. Also, if we travel far it would be a little cruel to leave my mother alone, although she would probably prefer that. But it seem strange to go overseas without her. It is easy about talking about going somewhere, but travel is stressful and one or both or all three of us would probably go off our rockers.

But we may have hit upon a solution. Our efforts to trace our family tree has all three of us interested, and it has now reached a kind of saturation point. I cannot find any more information on the internet or at GISA (Genealogical Institute of South Africa). The next step is to take a trip to Malmesbury to look at grave headstones. If we can find the birth dates of my mother’s grandparents, I can go back to GISA and look for them in church records. I’ve tried it once, but there is simply too many dates to cover. So unless it is scorchingly hot on Sunday, we’ll probably take a little trip.

At some point in the future we can also make a trip to Vanwyksdorp where my maternal grandfather’s family come from. I do not plan to visit any living family members (unless they’re close family, that seems a little intrusive), but it would be nice to see the farm where my mother spent some of her childhood holidays.

The trips are sparser on my father’s side. But I’m sure we can figure something out. It feels pointless to travel somewhere just to see if there is anything to see (although my father would like that), but if we could actually find some information… Far into the future there might also be a trip (or trips!) to Germany or the Netherlands or even Ireland, but first we have to exhaust our efforts here in South Africa.