All too soon, the summer 23 chapter has come to a close. Despite a gasp of late sunshine a few weeks back, I am sure we all feel as though we didn’t really get a proper summer this year. Now that autumn is upon us and with the feeling of transition into a new season, I feel like it’s a good time for reflection and so I thought I would share a few recent thoughts.

The privilege of peace. One of the greatest privileges is to feel at peace. The first things that spring to mind when we talk about privilege are usually material wealth and societal status but I feel like the most important privilege of them all is so often overlooked. The privilege of inner peace is rare these days. Many people are not at peace for one reason or another. I’ve realised one of the best things you can do for yourself is to optimise for peace in as many areas of your life as possible. That certainly does not mean living a boring or quiet life. Not at all. It means living a life that you actually align with and to live in on your own terms.

The luxury of time. Similar to the above. The ultimate luxury is time. You can’t get time back. Many of us won’t think twice about indulging in material luxuries but won’t (or can’t) allow ourselves the luxury of time. It’s okay to give yourself permission to do nothing once in a while. You might just be a lot happier for it.

There are no rules. Literally everything is made up. You do you. I happened across this little titbit of wisdom on TikTok (lol) and it really resonated.  The thing is, it’s true. I like things like this that remind me that it’s okay to rip up the ‘imaginary’ rule book. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.

Helford Village Regatta

Browsing the Tate St Ives

St Michael’s Mount

The ‘nearly there’ trees, an iconic landmark en route to Cornwall 

Getting into growing – my first ever crop of lettuce

Road tripping in the Brecon Beacons 

Wise words – I agree! 

Out for lunch at The Ivy

Stunning autumnal gardens

More home-grown produce in the form of plumbs

A little ride on a steam train. A really lovely, wholesome activity 

Getting a dose of nature over tea 

Life lately #17

Life lately #17

I think we can all agree it has been a shocker of a summer and for the first time since I moved back to the UK, I’m genuinely missing life in Dubai - namely the weather! I am back with a flurry of blog posts that I have not had the time or chance to put up until now....

Life lately #16

Life lately #16

This blogpost has been sitting in my drafts for far too long and is massively overdue. I feel like the last few months have just flown by in a bit of a blur and summer is slipping away all too quickly. I’ll keep it short and sweet for this month’s instalment, in the...

Life lately #14

Life lately #14

One minute is Christmas, then suddenly New Year arrives and before you know it, we are well into January. Why does it always seem like someone has their finger on the fast forward button this time of year? I had planned to put this blogpost up much sooner but there we...

Life lately #12

Life lately #12

Hello, hello! Another chatty blogpost is coming your way in the form of a 'life lately' instalment. Well, it's been an interesting few weeks with countrywide puzzling about where the British summertime went.   I usually write these life lately blogposts as a...

Life lately #11

Life lately #11

Another month is here and spring/summer feels like it is flying that bit too quickly methinks. I don't have anything massively profound to share in the form of a monthly reflection like I normally try to with these posts. What I will say is that blogging is starting...

Reclaiming your attention – setting better boundaries with tech 

Reclaiming your attention – setting better boundaries with tech 

In this day and age, it's safe to say that the majority of us clock up some pretty hefty amounts of screen time each day. Many of us stare at computers at work, only do the same with our phones in our free time. In a bid to improve my overall wellbeing, I recently...

Life lately #10

Life lately #10

Wow, is January nearly over already? 2023 has been good so far. I’ve felt a sense of peace and alignment return to me, which is perhaps a result of some of my New Year’s resolutions.  The main ones were to stop agreeing to things that I don’t mean, as a form of...

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway – the book that changed my life 

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway – the book that changed my life 

We all have that one influential book that changed our lives, and for me, it’s Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway by Dr Susan Jeffers. This book does what it says on the tin. During a time when I suffered debilitating bouts of anxiety while at university, this book...

100 quotes, sayings and affirmations

100 quotes, sayings and affirmations

With it being a fresh New Year, a sprinkling of light and wisdom never goes amiss, especially as many of us will be hoping to make positive changes in our lives around this time of year. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’m partial to a good quote or saying...

Life lately #9

Life lately #9

It’s not long at all before we turn the page on the chapter that was 2022. Looking back on the year, it could not be more different from the year I had previously. Largely because I moved from the bedazzling Dubai back to the British countryside.  I’m someone who...

Life lately #8

Life lately #8

It's hard to believe that there are just five weeks left of 2022 - this year felt like it has flown by. Moreover, that Christmas is right around the corner. This year, I am grateful to get to spend the festive season with my parents, having not been able to due to...

Life Lately #7

Life Lately #7

This 'life lately' instalment is long overdue. For whatever reason, the compulsion to write had just passed me by until now.  It has been an interesting few months. I feel like summer came and went in the blink of an eye, as is often the case here in Britain.  I am...

Life lately #6

Life lately #6

What a wonderful month July was. Some of its sun-drenched moments were the stuff of dreams, exactly what we romanticise British summertime to be about. The month's main highlight being a long-overdue trip to Cornwall, specifically my home village. I feel like the...

Life lately #5

Life lately #5

It goes without saying that it's such a wonderful time of year. This month I have been reflecting on my time since I got back to the UK and how much I have enjoyed being back. I get asked all the time if I miss life in Dubai and even I am surprised that the answer is...

Life lately #4

Life lately #4

I feel like I am well and truly settled back in the UK now. It feels good to be immersed in greenery and nature once again having been away from these things for so long whilst out in Dubai. During the entirety of my time out there, I never got the chance to visit...

Why you should move to Dubai

Why you should move to Dubai

Thinking of shaking life up a bit? In need of a change? If so then making a move to Dubai in 2o22 is a good option. When it comes to living and working in Dubai, making the move relatively easy to set up. That's not to mention that as a destination, Dubai has much to...

Life lately #3

Life lately #3

It feels great to be back in the UK in time for spring. I had attempted to plan my return to correspond with the arrival of the warmer weather. Although it was still pretty cold when I first got back, it finally seems as though the feeling of spring is well and truly...

Why Brits should consider moving to Dubai

Why Brits should consider moving to Dubai

Are you considering making a big life change in 2022? If moving to another country is an idea that you have been mulling then I say, why not? Why not make this the year that you simply go for it? Moving to Dubai was one of the best decisions I ever made, for a...

My top 10 travel essentials

My top 10 travel essentials

When it comes to travel essentials, there are number of go-to items in my arsenal that pretty much come with me on every trip without exception. If any of the items mentioned in the video are of particular interest to you, the full list is below! Happy travels!...

Life lately #2

Life lately #2

At the blink of an eye it's 'life lately' time of the month once again. I am back in Blighty in time for the spring - though it admittedly it is taking some time to adjust to the mild British spring weather and I have been spending a lot of time bundled up in knitwear...