Hello everyone, (Shalom – peace)
This year I moved three times including to a different city, and was very fortunate to be able to go overseas twice. I worked and studied a lot and got to know beautiful people and started writing my novel.
I am grateful I could go to Israel this year, and Vanuatu at the beginning of the year. Travelling makes me feel alive. I would love to keep travelling, but that will be in a while… 🙂
I learnt to just do it and take leaps this year. To do things even if there are risks, as long as you have weighed it up. And most importantly you need to live, cause living in fear is not living!
I travelled to Israel though there were risks involved with the war next door as well as the dangers within the country and in a lot of countries. But I was blessed over there and protected. I needed to go to Israel now and I had planned to go to Petra, Jordan but I couldn’t go this time.
This trip had been a long time dream of mine, because of the spiritual aspect as well as the ancient history of the place. It was also amazing to help with my novel about Syria – I went to the border with Syria and looked into the desolation which was very sad. The sign to Damascus was on the road near the UN post. I met some UN soldiers which was amazing to talk to them.
I went to the desert and swam in the Dead Sea, with mud all over me. There is nothing like this, the force of the sea means it pushes you up and you are lying on your back. You can’t do anything about it, it’s phenomenal. I swam in the Sea of Galilee and visited the garden of Gethsemane and the breathtaking fortress of Masada in the desert. I stayed in Jerusalem which I loved with all of its culture and rich ancient history and went to humble Bethlehem and Nazareth in the Palestinian Territories. I actually loved these two places there was something about them. Talking to our Palestinian guide was amazing.
I was kept safe on my trip. This year there has also been very difficult in my family at times, and there have been many tragic events overseas, but I am grateful I was able to fulfil my long term dreams.
In Vanuatu, I experienced beautiful snorkelling for hours and found Nemo, it was a mesmerising ‘other-world’ (my own made up word haha), refreshing waterfalls and cool fresh water streams, watched magnificent, unique firedancing and dancing performances, went zip lining over 80 metre breathtaking drops, kayaked over the deep ocean (which freaked me a little bit), went cycling where the local people lived and experienced the beauty and warm friendliness of the Vanuatu people. So beautiful! Thanks Ange for experiencing that with me.
My other lifelong dream is to write novels and this year I started working with a supervisor on my second novel I have written. It has been phenomenal and I am very excited to be doing this. 🙂 I am nearly finished a first draft! Yay. 🙂
Overall, I feel 2016 was a whirl wind ride, it was a roller coaster but it contained so many life changing and beautiful moments for me! Thank you to the divine.
Happy New Year! My advice would be if there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, do it. Why are you waiting? Weigh everything up, then take the risk if what you want to do is life affirming. Or take small steps to make it happen, baby steps still get us somewhere! It’s good to be wise, but sometimes we also have to act.
May 2017 be as varied and exciting, contain many different colours woven through its tapestry, with rich, deep as well as illuminating bright, playful hues, and with life’s highs and lows. May it be blessed and beautiful for us all.
Suzanne Strong 