I have quite a few firsts this year. I actually felt like I had started living. Perhaps that’s because this was the first year that I can remember that I felt like I was being true to myself. It’s being liberating.
I really want thank my friend, Megan, for giving me the courage to just be myself and open myself to new experiences. She has been amazing!
These are just some the experiences I had this year that I thoroughly enjoyed:
- I visited Durban’s Roma Revolving Restaurant. It is an iconic venue from which you have amazing views of the harbour and the city while enjoying authentic Italian food.
- I attended my first leadership conference. I thought I was going to suffer from imposter syndrome throughout the 3 days but I kept reminding myself that God puts me in spaces where I belong. I enjoyed it learned a lot. I also got to meet Robin Banks who runs John Kehoe’s Mind Power course internationally. That was definitely the highlight of conference for me. It was also the first time I had been to the lower Drakensburg Mountains. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
- I attended the first Ted X Durban which not what we expected it to be. We watched videos of Ted talks recently held in Canada so it was not like the videos you see on Youtube. Interesting topics though. We didn’t stay to the end. It was held at an exclusive Gentleman’s Club, The Pencil Club, in Umhlanga, Durban. Very intimate venue. Two of the talks that I enjoyed was “5 Steps to Fix Any Problem at Work” by Anne Morris. and “Why Change is Scary-and How to Unlock It’s Potential” by Maya Shankar
- Believe it or not I had never attended a wine tasting session before! This year I did. I am not much of a wine drinker but I absolutely enjoyed tasting the different notes in each wine. It was an awesome experience enjoyed with friends.
- During my visit to Nigeria we attended a company party at a hotel. I have been to Nigeria twice before but each time I just stayed in my room in the evenings. It was wonderful experience! The venue was beautiful. The vibe was amazing. The food was outstanding! I do not eat prawns and most seafood but the food was so good at the Asian Fusion Restaurant at the Marriott in Lagos that I could not help myself! I discovered that Nigerian people throw money at friends when dancing. As I understand it, it brings good luck to the person being showered. (If you are Nigerian and reading this, please correct me if I have gotten this wrong.)
- I love books and for the first time, I actually attended a book signing event. It was very intimate and I met such amazing people. The author, Beryl Botman, has an amazing story to share about the loss of her husband and her experiences as a grieving widow in the first few years that followed. She took us on her journey to becoming an author and shared the highs and lows of self-publishing and getting your work out there. It was an extremely informative afternoon. The icing on the cake was the host, Richard, who is from the UK and owns a very homely B&B in Ballito, north of Durban. Richard shared his life story with my friend and I while we had tea. What an interesting life! I hope writes a book as well one day.
- We missed the Springbok’s Victory Tour 4 years ago when they won the World Cup so there was no way my son and I were going to miss it again! It was fleeting moment in time but the vibe was amazing. South Africa has so many problems but for this one moment in time, we were united in our celebration of the Bokke! My son had never experienced that sense of unity in the country before and he was blown away. For this reason along, getting sunburnt while waiting for the bus to arrive so well worth it.
- Lastly, I am so thrilled that my orchid bloomed for the first time. It was given to me for my birthday in Jan. I believe that it was given with so much good energy that flourishing was inevitable.
It’s being a wonderful year! I have had great learning experiences and just all round fun experiences! I can’t wait for next year as I get to go on my first cruise with my son. It’s going to be awesome!
Grounded African 