It’s been years since I used a Swiffer. The house stays clean with little effort on our part other than cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen and Swiffering the floors, both dry and wet. It gives us peace of mind to have the house in such good order with plenty of groceries, household supplies, and everything we could need.

It’s odd not to see the dust on every surface and no bugs buzzing our heads at night or in the kitchen while cooking. I haven’t seen a single insect since we’ve been here. How weird is that?

Is there anything here that’s not ideal? Only one thing. We are used to sleeping in a king-sized bed, and now we have a queen, which feels small. The biggest problem is when I lay on my left side facing him while looking at my phone. There isn’t enough room for my arms to hold and use the phone.

If I moved to the other side of the bed permanently, that would help, but I always sleep on the left side when facing the bed, always closest to the bathroom. Besides, since we arrived, I’ve barely had to look at my phone during the night since I am sleeping so well. My battery is almost still full in the morning.

Each morning, we’ve been walking before breakfast. For the second day in a row, I haven’t had to stop during the walk for less than a minute to rest my legs. I’m hoping in time, the leg discomfort will ultimately abate, and we’ll be able to pick up the pace, although we are moving along at a decent pace. I thought we could increase our speed as opposed to the distance. This is so good for both of us.

Our meals have been healthy and delicious, although easy to prepare. Tonight, Tom is having Italian meatballs topped with red sauce and mozzarella cheese, a side of white rice, and salad. I am having salmon, a few grilled scallops on the side, steamed broccoli, and salad.

I am eating different meals than Tom right now since I am working on losing the weight I gained over the past few years. I have tried many times to lose it, but I guess I haven’t been motivated enough to succeed. Also, it helps to access more foods that work for me while trying to lose weight, such as keto yogurt, turkey bacon, spaghetti squash (low in carbs), and individually frozen chicken breasts and salmon servings. I am doing great so far and feel committed to staying on track.

By the time we leave at the end of July, I will have lost everything I wanted to lose if I drop two pounds, .9 kg, a week, I will be more than done by the time we leave here at the end of July. Then, to maintain this, I will increase the volume of food I eat. Since I am doing it keto-style, I am not hungry or struggling at all. I keep track of everything I eat in a free online app, Cronometer, to ensure my macros are suitable for losing weight.

Also, I have been eating something midday to hold me up until dinner, which seems to help me eat smaller portions. After dinner, I have a small keto yogurt. Tom has been having popcorn after dinner each night. It’s quite pleasant here, and we’re enjoying every moment.

I left a lot of clothes that didn’t fit me in bins in South Africa. It will be nice to return in 13 months to more things that fit me, including several pairs of jeans I purchased in the US a year ago that I still hadn’t fit into. If I need to buy a few things before we leave here, that’s not a problem. I can order what I need online to hold me until we return to Marloth Park.

Putting this down in writing is excellent for making me accountable. Of course, I will report my progress if any of our readers are interested. Dining out is easy since I can always eat a piece of chicken or fish, a steamed vegetable, and salad without dressing. Many times, I’ve written here that I was trying to lose weight, but this time, it is different, with more food options and the added comfort and convenience of living this easy lifestyle, allowing me to focus on what I need to do.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 10, 2013: