From Köln to Home and Back: A Year of Transformation Across Borders

🕰 12 months have flown by so quickly 🕰

This is quite a personal post about my self-reflections of the last 12 months

Twelve months ago yesterday, I arrived in Köln, Germany for the very first time, feeling like I was a deer caught in the headlights

That day included:

🖤 My first walk around the Altstadt and dinner with wonderful company

❤️ My first proper view of the Dom, and feeling like a tiny ant compared to its sheer size and beauty

💛 My first walk along the river at night, and stopping under the shadows of the avenue of trees

🖤 Well, the first of other beautiful special experiences and memories that night 💕

❤️ It was the beginning of my slow healing process from significant burnout and long term high levels of cortisol running rampant in my body for many years, thanks to chronic long term high levels of stress …… I’m still healing, but each day I feel stronger and stronger. I know now when to listen to my body to rest and nourish it

💛 It was the day that I decided to start ripping down the protective walls I had placed around myself, and embrace being vulnerable to step out of my comfort zones

That day has set the tone for the last 12 months, with many new experiences having been had, both in my personal and professional life

I’ve travelled to new places, made new friends and caught up with dear friends who have been part of my life for so long

My work has been published nationally and internationally, and is gaining traction overseas. I’ve presented in Australia and incredibily grateful to have had the opportunity to present internationally 🙏

I was shocked to receive out of the blue, a message last night, saying my most recent article about HAT and veterans transitions had been shared with the Skills Development Scotland (career development) team, with favourable/impressed support and feedback. I was asked if it was okay to pass my details to the person who heads up their veterans transitions project …… Of course I said yes!!! 🥳

I’m feeling slightly more confident with the German language – though still woefully poor at understanding its grammar rules 😃🙈

😠 I have been told by some people that I’m so lucky to be living “the good life, swanning around, always on holiday and not working” 😠

What they don’t realise, is that I have been working my butt off behind the scenes over the last 12 months, taking calculated risks, if albeit unconventional opportunities, whilst making it a priority for my body to heal, and to strengthen relationships important to me.

🎉 Learning German doesn’t come easy to me, so I have made this a priority and have been studying intensely in between COVID and other health issues, which impacted my capacity to be at a screen for long periods of time

🎉 I have been dipping my toes into the big pond of travel/work and not being location dependent. Not being restricted to one location or “standard” work hours, are two of my non negotiables when it comes to career and life. This is why I’m taking the time needed now, to get used to this lifestyle and to make it a reality

🎉 I have created from the ground up my 2 innovative programs/concepts, and worked to have these protected …… these are my ‘babies’ and the fighting spirit in me has come back …… nobody is going to pilfer these from me. There have been attempts made, but I am very grateful to two people for their independent sage advice of protecting my creations. I have been blown away with how these are also gaining interest in different countries

🎉 I’m working on some other resources, and have been encouraged to write my own career-life book based on one of the concepts I’ve created …. I have the outline of it with me (but that is a story for another time)

🎉 I’m taking a leap of faith, doing things my way and getting ready to get stuck into some interesting opportunities, leading along my path of where I want my life to lead me ……… stay tuned for more info as it develops in 2025

🎉 My creative side has been fuelled and reignited – that doesn’t just include the arts, but more importantly, how my brain and decision making thinks creatively

🇩🇪 Köln really is my happy place and where I want to be. It brings out the best in me, and yep I did pack my traffic cone hat for this trip ….. afterall, you never know when it might come in handy to wear a traffic cone on your head 🤣🥳

I don’t know exactly what the next 12 months hold for me, I do believe in holding the future in an open hand, and doing things ‘my way’. One things for certain, the journey won’t be dull
🖤❤️💛🥰