Embracing Change

Well, I am currently sitting in bed recovering from a stomach flu that I apparently got from my youngest kiddo so I figured I would take a moment and say hello. 

Life has been a whirlwind, and that is an understatement. I am pretty sure I have said this somewhere on this blog before, but here it is...again. I have been beyond busy, wearing millions of different hats and just trying to get my head on straight while also making sure that none of said hats fly away in the wind. It's all been wonderful stuff that's been happening the past several weeks though, and I am extremely grateful. 

I guess perhaps the most obvious of things that happened is that I started a coaching and counselling practice. (And yes, Americans, I do realize that the word, "counselling" has two "L's" and not one. I have chosen to adopt the British spelling.) ;-) I had been contemplating for a while when I would take the plunge, and it all kind of happened perhaps sooner and a bit differently than I expected. It just felt right, and so I went for it. I went to the Dutch Chamber of Commerce at the end of April and officially began as of May 5th. It's been quite a journey just getting all of the logistics in order, but I have been working like crazy to get things off the ground. I am excited and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to bring a dream to life that had been swirling around in my heart for the better part of 20 years. I have always had a passion for people and mental health so I feel incredibly honored to be able to get to do what I love...and this is just the beginning. I have all kinds of plans and ideas in the making, and I anticipate being able to share more as things unfold. 

As of last month, I have two kiddos who each had a birthday. My oldest son is now 12, and my daughter is now 10. I remember years ago daydreaming about the day that they would turn these ages, and now that time is actually here. It all feels so surreal. I feel so blessed. All three of my kids have grown up so much during this past year, and I can't even believe it. Time is surely flying. My oldest will be headed off to high school after summer break, my daughter off to 5th grade, and my youngest son will be going into 1st grade. We're busy here with lots of reading, learning how to use an iPhone responsibly (gahhh!!!...haha!), electric guitar lessons, drum lessons, competitive dance, swimming lessons, birthday parties, having friends over, etc. This mama is surely in active mom mode, and I am loving it. I am looking forward to going on some fun adventures with the kids this summer as well though we have yet to make any concrete plans. We're looking at possibly doing some amusement parks so that'll be fun. I am also heading to London with my oldest at the end of next month for a few days to celebrate his transition from primary to secondary school. We're both really excited since this will be the first time to the UK for both of us. I have been living in Europe for about 16 years now, and you'd think I would have been to the UK already...but I digress. So if you have any fun things for us to do while we're there, I'd love to hear it. Thanks. :-)

As of this month, I am winding down with the whole school thing and busy studying and preparing for my exams in the next few weeks. I cannot believe I will be finished with my first year of school in less than a month!  The time has simply flown by, and I have enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. Haha. I say "almost" because this year has not only helped to further sharpen my skills as a mental health professional, but I have been challenged to my core in regards to my own inner healing journey and my personal growth. Talk about having a constant mirror held up to your face! I wouldn't change any of it for the world though. I have been so blessed with some great instructors and wonderful classmates, and I have made some beautiful friendships for which I am utterly grateful. I am definitely anticipating my second year, which will begin this fall, as I will be presented with new challenges and opportunities for growth and self-reflection. 

Outside of the work and school and mama stuff, I am still doing some fun things just for me. I have been busy dancing more, playing more with my kids, healing my inner child, and simply discovering more and more things that I love. I am still doing the whole singing lessons thing as well, and I have a wonderful teacher who is so encouraging and just wonderful. I have gone through quite the ringer with my voice these past few months due to long covid, and he's just been so patient and helpful. I have also been getting more into exploring my spirituality and what that all means for me. I have learned so much about myself and about life, and it's been difficult but also very rewarding. Oh, and writing. I have been writing. I actually joined a community of women writers not too long ago, and it's so good because I definitely could use the accountability to keep going and stick to my goals in this area of my life. I have been working on a few different projects including some songwriting, spoken word poetry, book ideas and so much more. I am excited to share some more about these projects with you in the coming months. I was also the guest on a podcast a couple of months ago, and it was a lot of fun. The podcast is called, "Going Dutch," and it was started by three Americans living in the Netherlands as a place to discuss various issues that expats face when relocating to a new country. I really enjoyed the opportunity to share a bit of my story, and I am looking forward to joining again sometime in the future (since I was invited and all..haha!). 

My journey these past several months has been messy, raw and just simply beautiful, at least to me. I honestly do not even recognize who I was last year. I am so grateful for the gentle (and maybe some more not-so-gentle) nudges from the Universe to help me face myself and all of those shadows that I had tried to avoid for the majority of my life. Healing is messy, it surely is not linear, and I am totally okay with it all. I have been taking quite some time to go at my own pace of getting to know my true, authentic self, what makes me come alive, and what kind of legacy I want to leave behind when I transition from this life someday. Some deep thinking, huh? I am just in the place of wanting to feel everything, walk through what I am supposed to experience, and just live my life to the fullest. I am learning more and more to enjoy the present moment and just allow life to flow. Meditation and journaling have become the norm for me, and I have gained so much from these daily practices. I have also begun a bit of breathwork and am currently looking into joining a therapeutic dance class, which I am really excited about. The Divine is showing me each and every day that He/She is with me, and I have nothing to fear. I am embracing change, and it's scary and uncomfortable but not impossible. My heart is healing, my soul expanding, and my mind surrendering. It's a great time to be alive. I give thanks.