The PEOPLE. You never know who you’re gonna get in a travel group. I travel solo a lot. I get on with most people generally but I need my own physical space, head space. And again, on a Girls That Scuba trip - it hasn’t just been one or two people I adored, but the whole entourage. So much laughter, games, shared excitement, nerves, memories - experiences. Need to put laughter down twice…. The skiff tours, hot tub, SHARK ATTACK, ‘that’s what she said…’ And my dive group - the Hammerheads 🥹 What a crew. You got me, I got you 💙I still spent time alone reading, chilling, journalling - everyone was the same, no pressure to socialise, and no one left out. So grateful to be with such an amazing, fun, interesting group of people. Including the amazing crew/DM’s - super professional, very friendly and a lotta lotta fun. Thank you all. Nixie love you 🥰🥹🙏
Going onto the Liveaboard and offline completely for the next week - hoping to see a lot of Sharkies & Giant Mantas. Can’t believe I haven’t actually started what I came here for - already had a pretty wonderful time. A lot of sitting, reading, journalling - Boxing, Muay Thai, (so unexpected & awesome) and of course, the sea - the beautiful sea! Parts of Cabo have felt like a cultural experience, a North American ‘Brits Abroad’ kinda place (in certain areas)- but been funny observing & happy generally just to have been in my own bubble for a few days eating good food, catching up physically, but more importantly mentally.. New wetsuit (7mm 🥶) tested doing some local dives - saw so many amazing rays - and feeling comfy diving again, and like I will survive the colder water… ciao for now 💚🤍❤️
I thought I’d put together a quick 2022 post. One photo from each month. But once I started - impossible. What a year. A huge emotional, rollercoaster of a year. I started the year feeling awful, and frustrated. Nothing was ‘wrong’ - I just felt so so wrong, and dull, devoid of life. Pockets of sanity each day when I trained - but other than that I was flat, and sad, and anxious. The plan was to train and get fighting - but day 3, I broke my hand. I only took 24 hours off training but my road to fighting took a different path. One, I genuinely am grateful for (and I don’t believe everything has a silver lining…) I first felt my spark return on an impromptu solo trip to Derry/Giant’s Causeway. Oh my, I’d missed myself. It gave me that little fire again, remembering that I love life - I had to make things better, be better. And hell I tried with everything I had. And this year, has been a rollercoaster, but what a ride. So emotional - I’ve probably felt some of the most intense joys - of love, friendship, family, pride. I feel at home in London again - community. I got back in the sea - swam in the pond... I taught, I learnt so much. I work two jobs I love. I injured myself, but I got in that ring. And I had so, so much fun in there. So much just getting up and going. Telling myself to STFU and just do, just go say hello (I get nervous and intimidated meeting new people as well…) Thank you for all the love, support, friendship, adventures this year. For giving me strength when I felt I’d scraped the bottom of the barrel of my reserves.