Hey there
It’s been a while since I sat down to write a blog post. Life has been full lately. Full of travel, new experiences, work, family, motherhood, a little bit of chaos, and so many moments that have reminded me just how much I have to be grateful for. So instead of coming back here with a perfectly packaged lesson, I thought I would simply catch you up on life lately.
1. Doing It Afraid in Diani
One of my recent trips was to Diani, Kenya, for the BNI East Africa Convention. I was excited about the trip, but if I’m being completely transparent, I was also quite anxious about it. Most of the people in my close circle weren’t going, which meant travelling and spending several days with people I didn’t necessarily know very well. And for someone who experiences social anxiety, the idea of constantly meeting new people, introducing myself and having conversation after conversation can feel quite overwhelming. But I really wanted to go. I wanted to experience Kenya, meet people from different industries, grow my network and hopefully open myself up to new opportunities, especially within the content creation and influencer space. Kenya is such a big market within East Africa, and I knew that staying comfortable at home wasn’t going to help me build the relationships I wanted to build.
So I went afraid. And I’m so glad I did.
Sometimes courage isn’t the absence of fear. Sometimes it is simply deciding that what is on the other side of the fear is worth pursuing. I met new people, made new connections and found myself genuinely enjoying conversations I had initially been nervous about having. And of course, it wasn’t all networking and business. I got to experience beautiful Diani, go snorkeling, see dolphins, explore Mombasa and simply enjoy being somewhere different.
I came home proud of myself.
Not because I suddenly conquered social anxiety, but because I didn’t allow it to make the decision for me.
2. And Then… Paris!
Not long after Kenya, I packed my bags again. This time: PARIS! My first trip to Europe. Even writing that still makes me smile because it was one of those experiences I had imagined for such a long time, and suddenly I was actually there. I travelled with my friend Liz, and we decided that if we were doing Paris, we were going to DO Paris. We planned our itinerary, planned our outfits and even booked a photographer because we wanted beautiful memories from the trip. And honestly? We created them.
Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person and watching it light up at night was surreal. There are some places you have seen in pictures and movies your entire life, but nothing quite prepares you for standing there yourself. We explored cafés, ate croissants, drank hot chocolate, went to Disneyland Paris, navigated the Metro and walked… and walked… and walked. And got lost. Many times.
Using the Paris Metro for the first time was an adventure on its own. I think we got lost at least five times, but somehow that became part of the fun. There was also THE HEAT! Paris was incredibly hot while we were there, and we quickly discovered that air conditioning is not something you should automatically assume your accommodation will have. Some days were over 40°C, and navigating a new city in that heat was quite an experience.
Then came one of the most stressful moments of the entire trip.
3.The Day I Lost My Phone in Paris
One evening, after leaving a restaurant, I realized while we were already on the Metro that I didn’t have my phone. The panic! Anyone who creates content for a living probably understands just how much of your LIFE is on your phone. Beyond the cost of replacing it, I immediately started thinking about everything stored on it. We got off the Metro and tried to make our way back to the restaurant. Except… we got lost again. So imagine two women trying to navigate the Paris Metro, already stressed, taking wrong turns while one of them is wondering whether her phone is gone forever. It was chaos. It definitely wasn't funny at the time, but I can laugh about it now. Eventually, we made it back to the restaurant. I explained what had happened and, to my absolute relief, someone had found my phone and the restaurant had safely kept it for me.
The moment they handed it back to me, I burst into tears. Liz and I hugged and cried together. It sounds dramatic now, but in that moment I was overwhelmed with gratitude. I kept thinking about the unexpected expense of replacing a phone that definitely wasn't in my budget! God really came through for me at that moment.
4.Paris Also Humbled My Wallet
One thing nobody needed to convince me about after that trip was that Paris can be EXPENSIVE. Food especially surprised us. Even what felt like a relatively simple meal could quickly become a serious expense. But we leaned into the experience. We café-hopped, tried different foods, enjoyed the pastries and soaked up as much of Paris as we could.
And one thing I really appreciated was how helpful many of the people we encountered were. Navigating a new country where you don’t speak the language fluently can be intimidating, but we met people who were willing to point us in the right direction and help when we were confused. Paris was beautiful, exhausting, hot, expensive, exciting and unforgettable. And I would do it all over again. Well… maybe with better air conditioning.
5.And Then I Came Home to My Favorite People
As beautiful as travelling is, there is something about coming home. The children were on holiday, so after all the movement and travelling, I really wanted to slow down and be present with them. We did different activities, spent time together, cooked with the girls, swam, talked, laughed, dealt with sibling fights (because let’s not make this sound too perfect ), wiped a few tears and simply did life together. One of the things I loved watching was the children's progress in their different activities.
Reign has really grown in her swimming and seeing her confidence in the water has been amazing. Royal is getting there too, although that girl has absolutely NO fear of water. She will happily jump into the deep end like she has nine lives. King, meanwhile, has been working hard at football. His dream is to one day play for Liverpool, so we are praying with him and cheering him on as he puts in the work. One of my proudest motherhood moments actually happened while I was away.
Before the holidays began, the children received awards at school. I unfortunately missed the assembly because I was in Paris, but receiving the news while I was away made me incredibly proud. King was the best student in his class and made the Honor Roll. Reign also made the Honor Roll, and Royal received a Smartness Award. All three!
There are moments in motherhood when you wonder whether you are getting anything right. Then there are moments when you get to stand back and see your children thriving, growing and becoming their own little people. Those moments are such a gift.
6. Back to Work, Back to Routine
The holidays have now ended, school has resumed and slowly we are settling back into our routines. Work slowed down a little while I was travelling because I intentionally allowed myself to take a break, but I've come back to some exciting opportunities and new clients. There are things I'm building, conversations happening behind the scenes and opportunities I'm praying through. I don't know exactly what the next few months will look like, but I'm excited about them. And maybe that's where I am in life right now.
Excited. Grateful. Expectant.
7.Life Lately
When I look back at these past few months, I realize that some of my favorite moments have come from simply saying yes. Yes to travelling even when I was anxious. Yes to meeting new people. Yes to getting wonderfully lost in a new city. Yes to creating beautiful memories. And then yes to coming home and slowing down enough to appreciate what was waiting for me there.
My children.
My husband.
Our home.
Our wonderfully noisy, imperfect family.
Work that I love.
Opportunities I once prayed for.
Friends to experience life with.
And a God who continues to remind me that there is so much goodness in ordinary life.
Sometimes we are so focused on the next milestone that we forget to look around and acknowledge the life we are already living.
Right now, mine isn't perfect.
There are still things I'm praying for. There are still fears I'm working through. There are still days when motherhood overwhelms me, work piles up and I don't quite know what I'm doing. But there is also so much beauty here. And perhaps that is my biggest takeaway from life lately:
You don't need a perfect life to have a beautiful one.
Sometimes the richness of life is found in a plane ticket you were afraid to book, getting lost on a train with a friend, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle, finding the phone you thought you'd lost forever, breaking up another sibling fight, watching your daughter finally learn to swim, cheering your son's big football dreams, celebrating school awards, cooking with your children, coming home to a supportive husband, and realizing…
This is the life I once prayed for.
And for that, I am deeply grateful.
Until the next life update,
Lisa