Every now and again you realise how far you have come, how many moments of progress you have over the weeks, months and years that seem insignificant but when you look back they all add up to be something quite remarkable. Tonight I went for dinner with a friend, someone I haven’t known for very…
Competition and being competitive
It’s not always a good thing. My family are all pretty competitive. Sometimes playfully, sometimes seriously. Sometimes it starts playfully and we get carried away and then someone ends up in tears (sorry mum). With a sociable twin brother and sister who were pretty good at sport, had each other to make it easy…
Lent: Running for water.
Today marks the start of Lent.. 40 days and nights where Catholics reflect and prepare for Easter. Typically making a sacrifice during that period to replicate Jesus’ sacrifice in the desert. 40 days without food or water. Most of the time we give up sweets, chocolate, alcohol, meat. Arguably, the things people…
Prioritising everything other than self care.
I keep many (probably too many) lists. I suffer with and thrive on stress and anxiety. This is often brought on from the fear of forgetting things, or letting people down. Or letting myself down. So I document almost every thought that comes into my head. I have a notebook at work with a list…
Gratitude. Often overlooked in the madness of everyday life.
This week I travelled to East Africa with a supporter to visit three projects over two days. A lot of work for a few days of travel. But an incredibly valuable experience for everyone involved. Especially for me. All three had an element of water and agriculture involved. Two linked up closely with already established…
What a commotion
Leaving Isiolo to go back to Nairobi and there’s a road traffic accident on the way out of town. Driving up it’s hard to tell what’s going on. Is it just a group of people blocking the road for no reason? Is it a fight? Is this the moment my fears become a reality? As…
Driving in Africa
Is an odd experience. Thanks to the highway that was built about eight years ago it’s easy to travel across Kenya. The road is planned to go from cape town straight north to Ethiopia. The section through Kenya is complete. For many rural towns this has been a good thing. It has brought life and…
Anxiety and travel
I found myself in the awkward position last night of just not knowing what to do with myself. I didn’t want to go to sleep super early in case I didn’t sleep through. I didn’t really feel like eating. I didn’t know if it was sensible to use energy on exercise. Then suddenly I’d had…
Travel, language, people. They’re funny things.
After months of planning for a trip to Kenya for work that was initially to happen in July and was then postponed to February, it is now time. It has been a turbulent few months. Not necessarily negative. There has just been a lot going on. Being offered a promotion in a slightly different role…
Training for a half marathon in Central London
Back in November one of my Crossfit* coaches said she was signing up to the Hackney Half in May. Just a head’s up in case anyone else fancied it – she hates running so it could be good for motivation! My first thought: Oh Rachel. So silly. Why on earth would you do that?! I…
viewfromtheplane 