a girl in the world

Wow, it has been a long time since I last posted. Life has been… crazy, busy, crazy busy. I look back at this blog and remember that when I first decided to create it, the idea of “the Denise project” just seemed so great. But I didn’t really know what that project would be and I was ok to let it unfold slowly, over time. Well, three months later, after living in London all by myself, I think I’m finally coming to terms what this time away is all about. It’s an exercise in living richly.

While sitting at a cafe eating tortilla one morning in Granada with my good friend M, I came to realise just what all this alone time is all about. It’s about experiencing the full spectrum of life. That means eating Spanish breakfasts in little cobble stone streets in Granada, scootering through Mykonos in a bikini top and skirt, running around London during a tube strike, dancing in open discos at 4 am in Athens. It’s about not being afraid to live a life that’s a little different, a little less paved and a little less comfortable than what I’ve always known. It’s about letting go, taking risks and learning to live with decisions that may change my life forever. It’s about grappling with the loneliness, it’s about spoiling myself, it’s about beautiful things, delicious food, impractical travel and opening my arms to moments of pure bliss and chaos. It has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, moments of disbelief and complete awe, it has been sadness and excitement all in one. I am changing, this axis that I am spinning is tilting in ways that I can’t explain but I know that I will be OK. I know that after all of this is through, I will plop down on my couch and say THANK YOU. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this amazing ride. =)

And so, without further ado, below are favourite pictures from my hiatus. Testaments to living a little more richly than the day before.

I have finally arrived in London, my home for the next year. =) I was in Istanbul last week for a team offsite and what a perfect intro it was to Europe. The experience was pure magic and has me energized for all the new adventures to be had in this part of the world. =) We spent the days working hard and danced the night away in outdoor discos along the Bosphorus strait till 4am! It was amazing.

I’m currently living corporate housing in South Kensington until I find myself a flat. I mostly walk everywhere and take the tube to work – 15 mins door to door! Thus far, the myth of London rain has alluded me. The weather has been beautiful – bright days and warm nights, perfect for walking in Hyde Park, just a few mins away from home.

I feel very blessed to be here – running around Europe, exploring my independence, walking up and down the little streets of London. Europeans are very friendly and affectionate – I’ve already been invited to a wedding and have friends to visit in Dublin and Romania! I’ll be going to the Czech Republic next month, to Greece in October and Dubai in November. =) Next weekend, I’m treating myself to a weekend in Paris for my quarter century birthday. =) How amazing is that? I’ve very quickly learned that shocking the system into change is a good exercise that should be done regularly. It’s a way of letting life grab you by the shoulders, shake you a little and remind you to live fully again. I am filled with a sense of wonderbliss – happy and excited about life and what it throws at me.