Farewell to 2021

Before we get started, a wee warning: this post is…lengthy. And it’s totally my fault – it’s packed with 2021 reflections, FREEBIES, possibilities for 2022 and a bunch of other stuff. So, I’m really hoping you will bear with me on this one. 😉

Let’s start with the 2021 Nomad Adventures:

Started the year near Falkirk, springtime in Montrose, and for most of the rest of the year…in North Berwick but 2 different flats! Add in a sprinkling of chillin’ at my cousin’s near Aberdeen, a brief stay in that wee Airbnb where my Scotland adventure began in 2020 and a drop into a place called Portobello (not the mushroom🤣). I can honestly say that I fell in love with North Berwick. if I had the ‘perfect’ town checklist, this one would tick a helluva lot of boxes. So, why am I looking to move? Again? Well, 2022 sees my current short-term let coming to an end, and I’ve got it in my stubborn-ass mind to explore the west of Scotland. And, I have to admit, being in a bigger city with access to more yoga studios, gyms, pole & aerial fitness studios and generally, more people…well, ya girl is definitely missing feeling like she’s part of a community of likeminded humans. So, here’s to hoping that Glasgow will bring more of that into my life, yeah?

What did I actually DO in 2021?

MOVEMENT: For half the year, I taught classes online, then stopped. For a brief time, I taught classes in-person, then it stopped. Movement videos are uploaded to YouTube every New & Full Moon, but it’s not the same, is it?  I did join the local gym but this girl has been inconsistent AF! MUSINGS: I started the year writing LADY OF WATER, especially when I arrived in Montrose, right by the north sea! Then EVERLASTING took over and I spent most of the latter part of the year working on her story. Even had a great LIVE Book Cover release ‘party’ with Georgie, the sorceress who has been beyond magical in her creation. (like seriously, have you seen the cover? I’m freakin’ obsessed) Then I got a politely worded ‘rejection’ email from a freakin’ IG Book Marketing account which sent me spiralling. Like what the hell?  Not even talking about a publisher, or an agent…a freakin’ marketing company? Clearly my ego is far more fragile than I care to admit. Wait, I think I just admitted to it here? My secret is safe with you though, right? MAGIC: To be honest, I felt really connected to that special something, call it magic, call it wonder, call it what you will…and then I seem to have misplaced it somewhere in August, I think?  Same month that I stopped teaching movement. Coincidence?

🚦2021 GREENLIGHT!

What did show up in 2021, through an angel called Andrea, was the opportunity to utilize all my skills & yes, even some of my passions! So, I’m now part of a small heartf-based team working for a non-profit foundation based in Switzerland (y’all, I get to practice my german again, and holy crap it’s rusty!). The hours are part-time and remote. The work is fulfilling & rewarding. And I feel valued. Respected. Appreciated. What a difference this has made in my life. On every level! #NuffSaid

2021 Book Of the Year

If I could recommend just one book, it would be this one.  It doesn’t matter if you are a reader or a listener…this book is such a smooth ride! Precisely what my soul needed this past year to navigate those red & yellow lights, and frankly appreciate the green ones in my life. 🚦 “Hopefully, it’s medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot’s license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears. It’s a love letter. To life. It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights – and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green too. Good luck!” – Matthew McConaughey OOF! If you are still reading, thank you, you’ve got the patience of a saint. Or a sucker for punishment?  I’m gonna pretend it’s cuz ya like me…

What will 2022 Nomad Adventures look like?

The year will start out in North Berwick, but very quickly I hope to land somewhere along the west coast of Scotland in a town, a city, a place that I can call home for at least 6 months. After all, becoming part of a community takes some time…I’m already following a bunch of communities on the IG in Glasgow, so let’s see if my manifestation powers are strong 💪🏻 And I’m kinda afraid to say it, in case I jinx it, but I might be ready to drop some roots…like having to buy some furniture of my own, decorate it the way I see fit, and maybe, just maybe…call it home?

What I DESIRE TO DO in 2022?

MOVEMENT: For starters, I’m gonna be a student again. Somewhere. Somehow. Ease my way back in. But y’all, the question of “Who is Melanie without Movement?” has been answered, and it’s a whole bunch of cuss words mixed with tears!!! So, I’m going to actively seek out getting on the mat, again, to guide Movement & tell the same ol’ lame jokes. And hey, it might be online classes again? MUSINGS: First of all, I am going to put my big girl panties on, and shake off that ridiculous rejection! Then, I’m going to set aside dedicated & devoted time to finish writing EVERLASTING! How does a Spring Equinox release date sound? And maybe we can all do some sorta magic summoning for the Muse to kickstart LADY OF WATER, again? If I were to give 2021 a word, a theme….it would be: TRANSITION So that brings me to 2022, and while I don’t know yet, but: TRANSFORMATION What word, or theme, or colour, or song, or poem, or whatever feels right comes up for 2022, for YOU? There is so much more I want to tell you, but I suspect your patience is wearing thin by now…but before we ring in the New Year in whatever way feels good for each of us, I want you to know how much you are appreciated. Valued. Respected. And yes, I’m gonna say it. LOVED!