It’s that time of year – taking a look back over the past 12 months of 2015. And it’s been an interesting one. Highlights A New Year’s midnight swim to enter the year I got to hang out with one of my besties for a warm New Year’s at Orewa beach, one of my favourite … Continue reading The year that was – highlights and lowlights
Failure
Facing negativity
Some people – namely the boyfriend – would say I have a negative mindset. I would argue I’m just realistic. But when I came up with the stupidly ambitious idea to set myself a quest of climbing 40 volcanoes by the age of 40, I think I was neither negative nor realistic. I was in … Continue reading Facing negativity
Time to stop making excuses and just start
Right now I should be getting excited about what should be an impending trip to the tropical island paradise of Tenerife, one of the seven islands that make up the Canary Island archipelago off the west coast of Morocco. There, I was intending to make an ascent of volcano number two, Mt Teide, in my … Continue reading Time to stop making excuses and just start
Volcano number 1: The volcano virginity taker
Woohoo, I have lost my volcano virginity. First volcano climbed before the age of 40 in my #40by40 quest. Tick. Mt Vesuvius, Italy It feels good to be able to say that. It would feel even greater to say I strived against the odds to reach the summit (cue violins playing in the background). But … Continue reading Volcano number 1: The volcano virginity taker
How to not cook porridge
The taste of burnt, blackened oatmeal stuck to my tongue and the roof of my mouth, saliva glands pinching in disgust as I assaulted them with mouthful after mouthful of the gloopy, foul-tasting muck that was supposed to be breakfast. I thought nothing could compare to mum’s burnt spuds (sorry mum), but the acrid taste … Continue reading How to not cook porridge
Thoughts on knowing oneself
I have a theory. Humans have become locked into a way of living, such that they no longer know who they really are. In today’s 21st century, humans are obsessed with objects and things – that fancy car, that new gizmo with all the bells and whistles. It’s all about the high-paying power job and … Continue reading Thoughts on knowing oneself
Cultivating a growth mindset
Being new to rock climbing is never going to be easy. But to fail what should have been a relatively easy grade 4 climb – that I’d already climbed, I might add – is beyond annoying. In response, I did what a lot of people would do – I sulked, stomped about, pulled faces, made … Continue reading Cultivating a growth mindset