Gosh! I am so ready to see the back of this year. If 2025 had a mantra, whispered beneath the roar of the waves and the chaos of boxes, it would be this: “Let it go.”
This year has been nothing short of a whirlwind – a year marked by immense change, unexpected challenges and heartbreak, and minuscule glimmers of hope on the horizon.
It’s hard to believe how much my life has transformed in just 12 months. If someone had told me last year that I would be packing up my home, downsizing, juggling logistics that truly belong in a sitcom (I couldn’t have dreamt this nightmare up even if I was drugged), and searching for peace by the sea, I would have laughed it off.
Yet … here I am – living a reality far more colourful (and chaotic) than anything I anticipated.
The emotional rollercoaster of moving home
Leaving behind the safe and familiar walls of my old home was bittersweet. Packing up memories, sorting through decades of possessions, and saying goodbye to spaces that witnessed my children’s first steps and countless family milestones tugged at my heart.
Not only was I leaving a home, but I was also leaving my “office in the sky” – my wonderful workspace situated at the top of my house, with expansive views and amazing light flowing in from all sides of the office. It was my creative sanctuary; the place I could let my imagination fly. How would I recreate that anywhere else?
Downsizing forced me to confront the physical and emotional clutter I’d accumulated over the years, and it wasn’t always easy to let go. There’s a strange liberation in owning less – but also a lingering anxiety. What if I regret giving up that rocking chair we bought just before our son was born, or the oak desk that’s followed me across three provinces in South Africa since 1992? Downsizing became my physical curriculum in the art of letting go. Each item donated, each box recycled, was a lesson in releasing the tangible to make room for the intangible – peace, clarity, new memories.
The practicalities of fitting our lives into a smaller space became an endless puzzle, marred by a logistics nightmare that tested my patience and organisational skills to their limits. Amid the boxes and chaos, personal trauma added another layer of complexity to my journey. Some wounds are visible; others are carried silently and privately.
But with every sunrise by the new coastline, I’ve found moments of healing and the courage to embrace new beginnings.
Finding calm in the waves
Moving closer to the sea wasn’t just a change in address – it was a lifeline in many ways. The rhythm of the waves at night, the fresh, salty breeze in the morning, and the vast horizon provide daily therapy that soothes my anxious mind. The ocean is a constant reminder that life moves in cycles; even the most turbulent tides settle … eventually. It teaches me to let go. Each wave arrives, crests, and then releases back into the vastness, never clinging to the shore. I am learning to do the same with the tides of my own life.
Searching for a new yoga home
One of my greatest sources of comfort has always been yoga. Over the past three years, I’ve said many times that my daily practice and the yoga community I was a part of literally saved my life after the sudden death of my husband.
The first five months in a new town with unfamiliar faces found me seeking a new yoga community – a new sanctuary where I could rebuild and connect with others. Finally, that home has materialised. I’ve found my tribe – a wonderful group of people who understand that “finding your centre” sometimes means not falling over in a balancing pose. Even though I’m still new to the community I’ve been welcomed warmly and openly. With a strong feminine energy, the yoga sanctuary is exactly what I was searching for.
Family, pets, and the demon cat
My kids have been both anchors and sails throughout this transition, grounding me while also propelling me forward. Of course, our family pets have added their own brand of drama, especially our demon cat – a tiny agent of chaos whose antics deserve their own true-crime documentary, not just a chapter! Not only has he brought chaos within the walls of our new home, but also to the poor feline neighbour and a few neighbouring humans too! Navigating these changes together has brought its own set of laughter and lessons.
What will 2026 bring?
If 2025 has taught me anything, it’s that life is unpredictable, messy, and often beautiful in its chaos. As I stand at the threshold of a new year, I’m not just filled with trepidation as I have been since 2023. Now I feel a sense of excitement too. What stories will 2026 write for my family and me?
As 2026 approaches, I carry less – not just in possessions, but in spirit. I’ve learned that making space for the new isn’t possible without first letting go of the old. Whatever lies ahead, I’m ready – armed with resilience, hope, a tiny sense of adventure, and a bucketload of humour. Sharing my journey is an ongoing chronicle of adapting, healing, letting go, and finding joy in the midst of upheaval. Whether you’re downsizing, facing trauma, wrangling a demon cat, or searching for your own slice of sea therapy, I invite you to join me on this journey. Let’s see what the next chapter brings.
