So it’s got me thinking… we are half way through 2013. It’s whizzing by and while we can all comment on time flying and how we don’t remember other years flying by quite as fast, it’s happening.
There is no PAUSE button.
Just go with it.
It’s made me think about my first 6 months of this year. What an eventful 6 months they have been. I actually cannot get over it.
It’s been massive change for me and all for the better. It’s been extremely difficult at times but so incredibly rewarding too.
So here we go… In a nutshell…
In January, I started the year off with a lot of uncertainty. I was certainly experiencing my Saturn Return and the few weeks building up to my birthday really made reevaluate life. I took a good hard look at where I was, who I was, where I wanted to be and what my new goals, dreams and hopes were.
In February I turned 30 years old – a massive milestone – and it was strange – on the day I turned 30, I felt so at peace. More so than I had in the past few weeks, even months. It’s as if I had entered a new decade, a freshness to it and I just felt more at ease with who I am. It was quite an amazing experience and I don’t know if everyone experiences the same thing on their 30th, but that certainly happened to me.
At the end of February, my BFF Karolina and I were sent on a media trip to Mauritius. I had one of the best times with her and I’m so grateful for the time we get to spend together, bonding, catching up and just having BFF fun. In hindsight, I’m even more grateful because…
In March, I decided to make a bold and brave decision to relocate. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and everyone kept asking me why the move. For some people my answer of: “It simply makes my soul happy.” isn’t good enough for them; but it’s more than good enough for me.
I decided to give myself an opportunity to know what it was like to live in another city. I have always lived in Johannesburg. It’s all I know. All my friends and my family live there. 2012 saw me traveling backwards and forwards between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Every time I landed in Cape Town, I had this little voice whispering: “Welcome Home!” The whisper grew louder and louder. I absolutely fell in love with the city and I felt more at home – strange, but true. I decided that instead of being based in Johannesburg flying to Cape Town all the time, I’d explore being based in Cape Town and flying to Johannesburg all the time. It was a roller coaster month of feeling terrified one minute and excited the next; of feeling ready to pack boxes one day to wanting to unpack the boxes the next.
I spent 4 days in Cape Town and found an amazing apartment to live in in the Atlantic Seaboard area and knew it was meant to be because everything just started to slot into place with such ease.
What made it less scary is that I was going to continue with my 2Oceansvibe Radio show -the station is based in Cape Town- and I would actually do dual city living. I still have my clients and network up in Johannesburg, so when I am needed for MC work it’s easy to hop on a plane. People forget that JHB is only 2 hours away and I do not have concrete blocks attached to my feet, I can actually move and fly backwards and forwards. I can record voice overs in Cape Town and Johannesburg and I can see my family, friends and Duke all the time.
In April – I made the move to Cape Town. This is one of my biggest and scariest changes in my life to date. It meant new apartment, new friends, new city, new challenges. Little every day things that we take for granted in being settled in your environment, like finding where my new petrol station would be, finding where my new grocery store would be, new gym, a new doctor, a new dentist, new coffee and tea spots, new offices, new radio studios. New roads, new scenery, new times in terms of things being so close. In Johannesburg everything is 30 minutes away. In Cape Town, everything is minutes away. I remember my very first meeting was at 09h30. I left my apartment at 09h00 and arrived at 09h05.
NEW. DIFFERENT.
As if I didn’t have all of that to contend with, I decided to go back to study. I studied through Quirk Education and the University of Stellensbosch Graduate School of Business and studied Social Media 2. I worked hard, researched a lot, read a lot, wrote assignments and submitted weekly. I completed the course with an average of 98% – can you say NERD? I’m proud of myself.
I also start making new friends – not so easy in Cape Town. It’s hard to find the balance in needing to study, explore my new city and also get out there to meet people.
In May, I wanted to get back into a routine and get some order in my life. I started training again and overdid it. I fell on the treadmill, didn’t think anything of it and carried on training 3x a week for another 3 weeks. Turns out I had actually done some damage when I fell. 3 weeks after my treadmill tango, I tore my Achilles tendon and some ligaments in my foot. Awesome.
Luckily I didn’t snap it completely. It was a 25% Grade 2 tear which meant crutches for 3 weeks, heel lifts, physio and shock therapy treatment. It certainly gave me a new perspective on life. It forced me to slow down, appreciate my health and general activity and not take mobility for granted.
I decide to start my own business. I absolutely LOVE media. Everything about it excites me. I love broadcasting and I also love social media, hence my studies. I have decided to offer Social Media management to small companies who need SM, but don’t have time to run it because they’re running their business. My business is called BS Media and yes, it’s a play on the acronym of what you originally thought (don’t deny it) and my initals. 🙂
The great thing about this is I can be based anywhere in the world and it’s flexible. I work hard and I’m great at time management so I can keep up to date with everything that I do.
I am passionate about creating a voice and social media digital footprint for companies. I have 2 clients so far and looking to expand.
May also sees me celebrate the 1 year anniversary of meeting the most incredible man in my life. I couldn’t be happier. I laugh every day, I feel so loved and we have so much fun together it’s crazy. In my 30 years and in all the relationships I have gone through (each one teaching me so much) I have honestly met someone who is one of the kindest, generous, caring and loving souls. This is my most realistic, most mature and most loving relationship. We just enjoy each others company every day.
In June, I add another new change to my year and trade in my car. I am now the proud owner of a sexy MINI Clubman. I wasn’t looking for a new car, in fact I wasn’t looking, period. I knew I needed to trade my car in at some stage, but I got a call about this amazing deal and I couldn’t pass it up. I said goodbye to GP number plates and hello to CA number plates.
I surprise my dad for Father’s Day, experience what it’s like traveling with crutches (they will insist you get pushed around in a wheelchair – just go roll with it)
I am definitely feeling more settled. I miss my family, my friends and Duke every day but I Skype and FaceTime all the time and I get to see everyone at least once a month. It also give everyone an amazing excuse to visit me and Cape Town.
Throughout it all, I still adore this blog Vanilla Blonde and do my best to write a post every day. I adore my readers, I adore reading your comments and I adore sharing with you.
This year has been utterly mad, wonderful, terrifying and exhilarating.
My boyfriend and I are taking a mini break all of next week. I will definitely try to blog and I will be broadcasting my radio show from there – the joys of Internet 😉
Catch me every Monday – Thursday 2-3pm on www.2ov.fm
Here’s to the next 6 months of 2013, if there is one thing I’ve learned, things can change in a heart beat so enjoy every day, take deep breaths, appreciate those small moments and the big ones, enjoy those around you and take risks. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and then trust the process.
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