Personal Growth

January 2013 - a long, black-haired version of myself.. sporting a fringe and a pretty painful sunburn. 

January 2014 - sporting another painful sunburn (when am I not?!) and much, MUCH happier with life!

I find it truly amazing to look back into the history of your life - and in the space of a year see how much you have grown, developed and learned...

You get to see what you have experienced throughout the last 365 days.

I have decided that once a month, I will include a photograph of me from this time last year as well as the most recent one. January's post is a little late but there we go - fashionably late as I'd like to call it!

JANUARY 2013:

Cuddling my cat, India, back in my old bedroom... just a few days after moving back in with my folks.

Dressing up and going out for cocktails - making new friends and starting to feel like my own person again!

Hiking and enjoying the amazing South African weather and views with friends.

A year ago, I was at a major turning point in my life. 

I accepted defeat and moved back in with my folks after a nasty breakup. It was hard giving up my cottage - especially to move back in with my parents. 

It felt as though that small slice of independence had been taken from me. I could no longer cook my own meals if and when I wanted to, I had to share the television and could no longer plod around the house dressed however I pleased - if dressed at all! 

It has been a difficult adjustment and now, a year later, I am still there. Living back home has never gotten easier and I am searching for my own place but to be honest - I am in no rush. I have support, love and a coziness living back home that I am going to enjoy while it is there. There is plenty of time to grow up and establish a life away from my folks - I am not scared of it, but I just know that when I do, it needs to be right. 

Over the past 365 days I have been able to make the decision to see the positive out of situations instead of continuously focusing on the negative.

So, after one of the worlds most nasty breakups... I became free.. hence my tattoo across my ribs reading, 'Live Free.' I felt great not needing to answer to anyone or have to be someone that I'm not. It felt like I was inhaling a breath of air for the very first time and I just knew that this new found freedom was something I would never let go of again. I started to enjoy single life and put myself out there for the first time. I made new friends and did new things... for the first time I became my own person without being influenced by a partner.   

Another wonderful thing that changed throughout the past twelve months was my job. I used to work at a spa and I was never truly happy there. The hours were terrible, the people were two-faced and the environment was downright unpleasant. Since then, I decided to take a leap of faith and quit to go traveling with no job security when I returned. It was the best decision I ever made. I followed my gut regardless of knowing that I was being completely naive by returning without a plan... but when I returned, I found a job I'd consider to be pretty close to my 'dream' job. It isn't writing... but I am happy. I wake up each morning and I am excited to go to work - how often does that happen?! In actual fact - today marks my six months of being employed at the gallery. I think that deserves a glass of champagne if I do say so myself! 

The past year has been an amazing time of growth for me and I am overwhelmed by how much I have matured since January 2013.

JANUARY 2014:

In the garden trying to sneak a photo in with my cat, Guru, loving life and living it to the fullest.

Reveling in my new title as: Auntie Jade.

Experiencing and enjoying foods that I used to squirm at the thought of touching! 

Where were you this time last year???