I was lucky enough to be in Paris at the Plénitude Arena for the opening night of Céline Dion’s return to the concert stage in September 2026. I went to hear an artist I love. I came away thinking about music, language, home—and how much we can change while still knowing who we are.
She opened with “On ne change pas”—“We don’t change.” Later in the concert, she sang “Encore un soir”—“One more night.” So much of the evening was in French, and I loved being surrounded by it. People sang with their whole hearts. In the days that followed, I heard Céline’s songs sung out in the Paris streets, too, as if the joy of that night had followed us outside.
The joy of listening harder
Of course, being in Paris meant brushing up on my French. I didn’t mind that one bit. I love being in a country where English isn’t the first language. It makes me pay attention, try a little harder, and accept that I won’t understand everything immediately.
That feeling inspires me. It fires me up to soak in what is local to the place I’m visiting: the language, the music, the food, and the small conversations that become part of a trip. I don’t travel to make a place feel like home. I travel, in part, to experience what makes it different.
During this European visit, we also stopped in Brussels for two days. Belgium has three official languages—Dutch, French, and German—although Brussels itself is officially bilingual in French and Dutch. Afrikaans is especially close to Dutch, and it shares linguistic roots with German.
I’m not fluent in Dutch or German, but for those 48 hours I found myself recognizing words, understanding more than I expected, and feeling able to respond. I felt almost closer to home. It caught me by surprise: after the excitement of leaning into French in Paris, there was a quiet comfort in hearing something that connected back to my South African life.
A South African far from home
I am South African, and I live in the United States. I’m grateful for the life I’ve built here. Still, living abroad can make the familiar sounds of home feel particularly meaningful—even when you encounter them somewhere you didn’t expect.
Heritage Day, observed in South Africa on September 24, gave me a chance to reflect on that feeling. It celebrates the many cultures and histories that make up our country. This year, I thought about heritage not only as something we remember, but as something we carry into every new place we go.
I keep returning to Thabo Mbeki’s words: “I am an African.” He delivered that speech in 1996 as South Africa adopted its new Constitution. To me, those words hold both pride and a generous sense of belonging. They remind me that my identity is not diminished by living elsewhere or by being eager to learn from the world.
For two days in Brussels, a few familiar words made the distance between where I was and where I came from feel smaller. I didn’t expect that, and I’m grateful.
Staying open, staying grounded
These experiences carry into my work as an SEO and GEO strategist and fractional CMO at XDigitalSEO. AI, the internet, and economic realities keep changing the questions businesses need to answer. My job requires me to stay curious and adapt—but also to listen before I assume I understand.
Travel reminds me how valuable that is. In Paris, I wanted to hear the French around me. In Brussels, I noticed the words that felt familiar. In my work, I try to bring the same attention to people: what they mean, what matters to them, and what I might miss if I rush to an answer.
Still me, still becoming
I went to Paris to hear Céline sing. I spent 48 hours in Brussels feeling an unexpected tug toward home. And around Heritage Day, I found myself holding both experiences close.
I am an African. I am a South African living in the United States. I love discovering places that are different from where I come from, and I love the moments that remind me of it.
I’m still learning, still adapting, and still becoming. Wherever I go, I bring my roots with me.