182 days — wow.
182 days ago I left very very cold, wet and grey England to start a new chapter of my life 4,000+ miles away. Two suitcases and a barrel en route, I had followed through on my dream decision to relocate to the beautiful island of Saint Lucia.
My job had allowed me to work remotely, I had found an apartment across the road from my good friend and I was excited about spending Christmas day at the beach and that was where my last blog ended — apprehension, excitement and of course, the world at my feet.
What came next wasn’t easy and definitely has not been plain sailing, but has pushed me to grow, challenge myself and confirmed to me that moving was and continues to be the right decision. Here are a few lessons I learnt a long the way:
Lesson 1: Nothing ever goes to plan.
My barrel — full of things I didn’t immediately need but nonetheless important stuff — took an additional month to arrive and after multiple failed attempts went to an entirely different port.
Christmas on the beach turned into an incredibly fun j’ouvert (day break party) by my house, filled with fun, laughter, family, a lot of rum and even more great food (I still managed an hour at the beach)
Last week I was laid off. Fortunately I have some rainy day funds, but working 9–6 while living here was not panning out how I had envisioned my dream life, so now I can work towards a better work/life balance and continuing to consciously design my dream life.
Plans are just that plans, not everything turns out how you expect it to be, some for the better and others for the worst. Keep your head up and adjust accordingly.
Lesson 2: Trust
I have been blessed in these short six months to meet even more incredible locals and foreigners on this island and grow my network for more opportunities both personally and professionally. The kindness and generosity of people that could have been strangers all but a day ago still astounds me daily.
When back in England it is easy to keep yourself to yourself, not expand your network unless pushed to, and at the end of the day it all comes back to trusting strangers. Because you never know where that next connection may just lead you (just make sure its somewhere safe)
Lesson 3: Don’t forget where you came from
As much as I am blessed to know some great people on this small island, I have also had some pretty lonely moments — typical for anyone completely transforming their life. The wonders of video calling have certainly helped me through some of them and others I have been blessed to have aptly timed visitors.
Between Scarlett, Runako, Shans, Winston, Jay, Jaz and my mum and Kim (double trouble) I was so grateful for them taking the time to experience my new home with me and also bringing supplies and I cannot wait to share this experience with more of you.
But I have made conscious decisions that because I am half way around the world, I still have to work hard to be present for birthdays big and small, anniversaries, baby showers, deaths, housewarmings, sick relatives and more.
Lesson 4: You are exactly where you are meant to be
Through all the highs and lows and a quick trip back to the UK for a week, not once have I regretted moving. That is easy in the fun moments, the joyous moments, when everything is going ‘right’— because all you need then is some gratitude and can carry on with your day.
When life is a little tougher, people let you down, plans don’t work out, you get laid off, it is easy to think about packing it all in and head back to an “easy” life in London. Thankfully, not once has that crossed my mind — island living may not be the most simple but for me, this small part of paradise I now call home is exactly what I need.
Lesson 5: Your destiny is in your hands
Along with some hard work, I spoke my life into existence and I will continue to do so, sometimes I just need to remember that it is my life, with my choices and I am responsible for those outcomes — both good and bad.
I have some big life decisions ahead of me and a lot of work to do but I am up for taking control and pushing forward to bigger and better things.
So I am unsure what is next for me(if you want to hire me please drop me a message) but what I do know is you have to trust yourself to make the right decisions for you. Follow your heart, head and intuition and only greatness is in store for you!
