It's time.

Time to put pen to paper.

Allow thoughts to transform and evolve to fruition.

Hoist the anchor, prepare the sails, and let my imaginary ship full of thoughts, adventure, and meaningful stories sail from its safe harbour out into the world.

I've wanted to start a blog since probably around 2011. (Yes, it utterly pains me to think where I 'could be' with it now.)

2011 was the year that I opted to study Journalism at a prestigious media school and University in England -- it was recommended, of course, to write alongside your degree.

WHHYYYY DIDN'T I JUST DO IT.

Well, I am now.

I was constantly exhausted from all the discourse, research, and educational writing that I was doing while studying. If you've been to University, I guess you'll relate.

When I eventually graduated with Honours in 2014, I welcomed the break after completing my dissertation, and still didn't want to write for myself. Instead, I dedicated time to the full-time job I had in hospitality; working as a receptionist at a boutique hotel by the sea by day, and hitting the dusky clubs with friends or colleagues by night. It was a fun balance.

Months slipped by and somewhere in 2015, while I absolutely adored the job, excelled greatly in its role and even received a promotion to manager, I started getting a feeling of longing to expand my life travel-wise.

To get out, see more, and explore.

That niggling dream became much stronger, bigger, and then eventually burst into reality, where in 2016 I took a leap of faith to quit my job, give up the lease to my flat, and forge a new path toward chasing some incredible travels.

This is now the point where I should have, most DEFINITELY, begun the blog. *slaps past self intensely*

Well, it's 10 years past 2016 now... and I've got a ton of stories about the most incredible experiences that simply won't settle inside me any more.

Like when I cried seeing the Amalfi Coast for the first time, because it was simply so magnificent beyond words.

Standing in the spots resembling Apple screensavers such as Banff in the Canadian Rockies or the Hawaiian Na'Pali Coast.

Stuffing a car full of camping gear and road-tripping all over America in a tiny, budget tent and seeing 48/50 States.

Experiencing FIRSTS: my first tastes of cracked fresh cacao, fat BBQ brisket, lobster, coconuts, even puffing on a giant, mango-flavoured Dominican cigar. Seeing animals free in the WILD, from whales, armadillos, manatees, camels, eagles, hummingbirds, alligators, to Mother bears with cubs...

Not to mention wanting to share the emotional wisdom, whiplash, and the overall rollercoaster of personal stories I've experienced and learned from over this decade and more: encompassing major themes like betrayal, long distance, serendipity, loss... even from other women and sisterhood wounds, not just men.

Those are going to be vulnerable to share, but there's been some major transformations and heartache that shaped my reality and challenged a lot of my being.

Then the fate, destiny, or luck that put me in exactly the right place to meet my now-fiancé, despite having sworn to write off men a mere nine days prior. How a fairytale with the lowest odds ever still prevailed after a teensy, seemingly insignificant, 48hr window made me meet and fall in love with him, a Dutch military guy. (Who'd have thought).

Two totally different home countries, dedication, battling long distance, making it work, then deciding to move in together (across the globe to TEXAS, no less) as another random leap of faith.

There's a lot of horrible stories about men out in the world right now, and I'd love some of our story to be a beacon of hope, and proof that there still are good guys and dream-come-trues out there.

Aaand the narrative throughout all this? MOVING. Adapting. Learning. Constantly. Transition periods. No stability. Nomad, expat, immigrant, traveller, you name it.

I've had more than 15 bedrooms in 15 years, lived in 8 different countries, packed and unpacked too many times to count, and I KNOW what it's like to feel between two places at once, or even straddling more; pieces of your heart left all over the globe, constantly questioning where 'home' truly is, settling, unsettling, and everything in-between.

As I write this, I'm still technically living out of a suitcase at the age of 32. More on that later.

Despite everything though, I can safely say that the decision to quit my 'corporate' job and grasp an opportunity to travel as far and wide as I could was the best one I ever made.

All this to mean, it's about time I did start contributing my creative outlet to those who want to read it, and maybe start encouraging you to globetrot, write about your life, or just trust in destiny too.

Here's to carving our own pathways,

-fe