5th November

Today, November 5th, i celebrate 23 years in this country i now call home.

23 years ago, i was a 25 years old woman full of dreams, starting a new life from scratch.

Today, at 48, i find myself doing it all over again…rebuilding, rediscovering and reimagining my life.

The past few months have been tough… but also amazing, beautiful and full of growth.

Beyond my children, my greatest treasures, i’ve been blessed to find incredible souls who walk this path with me.

To the one who’s afraid of flying but still takes a plane just to hug me…

To the one who walks beside me, listening to my frustrations and celebrating my wins…

To the colleague who became one of my closest friends…

To the new friends who fill my days with laughter, dinners and deep conversations…

To the one who drove all the way to the north just to walk with me on a day i felt i’d fall apart…

To the friend who keeps talking even when I want silence…

To my forever friend, who teases me endlessly but shows up when I need a hug…

To the one who sends memes non-stop just to make me smile…

To the ones that support me during my holidays in Portugal… keeping me “happy” with Gin tonics for breakfast. Or the “reception” at the airport… because that it’s also showing love… or the “leather jacket chicks” buying a car together and pretending we know it all!!!… love can be expressed in some many different ways…. You’ve all shown me that even when life feels grey, there’s beauty in every shade.

You remind me that the world is full of colour, warmth and connection… if we dare to open our hearts again.

Thank you for making my life so much richer, deeper and more meaningful than i could ever imagine.

Here’s to friendship, resilience and new beginnings… no matter our age or how many times we start over.