Embracing New Beginnings: Our Journey to Joy and Inner Peace
If you've experienced a divorce, breakup, or separation, you're likely familiar with the feeling of uncertainty. Am I making the right choice? Should I remain where I am? Is the grass really greener on the other side? Can I be happy in this situation for the rest of my life if I stay? These are some of the questions you might ask yourself, and although the answers vary for everyone, leaving can be particularly daunting. The unknown often seems much more frightening than the familiar.
Gemma and I both decided to end our marriages respectively a few years ago, and while it was the right choice for us, the years that followed were challenging. We shed many tears and experienced countless highs and lows, with some of the lows being particularly intense, all the while hoping the future would make it worthwhile.
Fast forward to now and we are currently on a girls' trip in Europe. We've spent a week in London, visited Mykonos for the first time, enjoyed the Glastonbury festival (from the comfort of a nearby hotel that hosted its own mini festival on the sprawling lawns complete with tepee tents), and wrapped up the trip in the south of France for a friend's wedding.
Gem and I have been on many girls trips over the last year, but this one was different. It felt like we’d finally reached the breakthrough we prayed for all those years ago.
In September last year we went swimming with whales in WA where we camped on the beach. I remember our first night there was a super moon, so we wrote a list of things we wanted to manifest and placed it under the moon with our crystals on top, hoping the super moon would bring us the happiness we sought. On our trip to Fiji we sat around the pool reading countless self help books and furiously writing notes. On our Bali trip in January we visited a world renowned energy healer and palm reader, hoping he’d provide the secret ingredient we were still in search of.
This time we didn’t engage in any of our usual rituals because we've finally found that joy and inner peace. We didn’t even bring our tarot cards, and if you know how much Gemma and I rely on them for answers, you’ll understand how significant this is haha. We've also stopped consulting psychics; instead, we've learned to trust our intuition. It's amazing how clearly you can hear your inner voice when you quiet the noise of daily problems. Once you can do that, you'll find yourself making the right choices and following the path meant for you and miraculously wonderful things start coming your way.
As I write this, we are wrapping up our journey and heading to the south of France. This holiday was the moment we had been waiting for, where we were no longer in search of something, instead we were able to be present in the moment and enjoy everything it had to offer.
My highlights of the trip? On our second night camping at Glastonbury, we decided we preferred a warm bed and checked into a hotel. We found one with vacancies, which was odd considering Glastonbury was fully booked due to the 200,000 festival-goers. Yes, it seemed strange, but we took it anyway. Once we checked in, we understood why it was available: the hotel was a cross between the Amityville Horror and Fawlty Towers. Despite being one of the strangest places we've stayed, it provided endless comical moments and belly laughs, the kind where you're seconds away from peeing your pants.
Another highlight was visiting a famous beach club in Mykonos, ironically named Jackie O’s. On a sunny afternoon, the club overlooked the Aegean Sea, and they were blasting the likes of Brittany and Abba. Gem and I stood at the edge of the beach club, overlooking the ocean, and with the breeze in our hair we danced and sang for hours, having the time of our lives. In that moment, we felt so much happiness that a sense of relief washed over us, knowing this was what we had been waiting for. We had finally reached the other side.
Looking back, we realized that all those nights spent crying and questioning everything had been worth it. The decision we made years ago was driven by the hope that moments like this would eventually fill our lives. Now, the thought of the endless possibilities and what lies ahead fills us with excitement and wonder. What will the next chapter hold? Suddenly, the unknown no longer feels so frightening.