Chatty Lass

The year has been far from perfect, but it is (to date) the best year I’ve had in a long time.

The leap of faith I boldly took at the end of last year led me on a journey from fearful to fearless this year. What made the year exceptional isn’t imputed to the happenstances; amazing as they were, were only icing on the cake. Rather, it was the choice I made from the onset of the year - to come back to me, for me, and not anyone else.

It may sound romanticised and pollyannaish, but I assure you, it took more courage than anything else I’ve ever done. Because, for the first time in forever, I sought to put myself first - my dreams, my heart, my soul.

I discovered that a few practical decisions tremendously changed the way I journeyed, for the better. Like all good things, they are meant to be shared. Here’s hoping that in one way or another, they might help you too.

1. Learn to embrace every season.

Choose to see the good in every day, regardless of what the day was like.

It is a conscious decision to find joy in the midst of deadlines, drama, and daily duties. It is a pledged commitment to choose to keep that joy when days are long, gritty, and hard.

It didn’t take me long to realise that having an attitude of gratitude in any circumstance is what changes the circumstance.

2. Have a daily ‘Me’ time

This is directly linked to #1. Often times, we miss out on the wins (however small they might seem to be) in life because we are always caught in a flurry of things. There will always be something which needs your attention - a WhatsApp message, an email, a phone call, a Facebook notification, so on and so forth.

In your busy-ness, remember you. You are important. You are not defined by what you do. Most importantly, you only have one soul - stop to listen to it, be kind to it, love it well.

I was resolute in having a daily ‘Me’ time, so I resorted to switching off my phone at an allotted time and in that silence, I journaled. It soon became one of my most cherished parts of the day.

3. Know when to hold on, and when to let go.  

How He has enlarged my heart to have radical faith in Him is one of His most precious gifts to me in this season. In my walk with Him, I've inexplicably learned to hold on to faith, and to let go in faith; knowing full well that He will work all things out together for good for those who love Him.

4. Release yourself from ‘their’ expectations.

Their = Society, your circle of friends, a curious relative who loves to boast about his poster child, the aunty across the road, and at times, your parents.

It’s amazing how some people function - thinking it’s acceptable to send me a barrage of questions for the purposes of prying my life apart (which apparently makes good gossip material) and expect a full report on it from me. Unbelievable.

Know that “No” is a complete answer, and no explanation is owed regarding your personal or professional life choices to any person, other than God.

5. Build your life, inside out.

Create a life that feels good on the inside, instead of a life that looks good on the outside.

The admiration (or envy) of others will do nothing in making you feel good. Life is good when you feel good about it.

Coming to terms with the truth that I do not require validation from anyone else, except my Saviour’s, was enormously freeing. It changed how I did life, for the better.

6. Be intentional.

One of my greatest takeaways from high school is my alma mater’s motto, Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam, Latin for if there is a will, there is always a way.

Now, years later, the line I grudgingly recited and sang every Monday at assembly became a banner over my life.

I discovered the power of intent when I was on a month’s break from a full-time job. My days were without a rigid schedule; which meant that I had the luxury of meandering and doing absolutely nothing, or pick up passion projects and immerse in them. I chose the latter and I couldn’t be more thankful for my decision.

Look at the words of King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived:

Because of it, I embarked on a journey to my most fulfilling season in life (thus far). More on that in #7.

7. Do what you love, love what you do.

I am a firm believer in having a job that fills your pockets, and taking on passion projects that fill your soul. It takes both to produce a well-rounded, wholesome individual with a healthy outlook on life.

As someone who considers herself as a creative person (with a 1.5 year stint in the ad industry), but also has bills to pay, I know I can't realistically abandon my 9-7 job in order to write full-time right now, even though writing is something I love.

So, I did the next best thing - I made it happen by doing what I love after hours.

I poured myself into creating and crafting when I got home, on weekends, whenever there was any free time. And, it paid off. My little space is one of my proudest achievements, and I haven’t looked back since. From writing and photographing my own travel pieces, to designing artworks, and editing a book (!!!), all while giving 200% to my career, this year has been one which has creatively stretched me beyond my wildest dreams, and I’ve loved every moment of it.

Last Thanksgiving, I had just made the biggest decision where my career is concerned, and to be absolutely honest, I wouldn’t have described my attitude towards The Reason as thankful. In fact, I was anything but.

Thing is, He said 'Yes' to me 28 years ago, and has continually said 'Yes' to me since then, especially when I least deserved it. How could I deny Him of the very same answer on the one time He asked me to give up the very thing I loved most (at the time)?

My 'Yes' meant choosing Him above a job I adored. It was probably the toughest thing I've ever had to give up; my most costly worship - obedience. Little did I know, that ‘Yes’ was an open door to the best year I’ve had (to date).

Now, 365 days later, I couldn’t be more thankful for saying ‘Yes’ to an adventure of a lifetime, a life lived, and a story worth writing about.

Yet, I believe the stories we should be sharing around this holiday table shouldn’t be just about what are we grateful for, but how can we change our world because we are grateful?

Perhaps, we can start by saying ‘Yes’ more often - to Him who is worth it all, and let that answer of surrender overflow into the lives of our incredible parents who raised us, to our beautiful children who carry our heart in their hands, or to the person across from you who deserves your kindness simply because.

Your greatest story is waiting to be written. Begin by saying ‘Yes’ to it. I promise, there’ll never be a boring day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Believe in yourself.

2. Don’t just think it, DO it.

3. Accept, and adapt.

4. Who you allow to speak into your life has power over you.

SCRUMPTIOUS LOCAL THAI FOOD AT SOEI. The Wasabi Prawns (clockwise, second dish) was to-die-for.

There was a lovely stall serving home-cooked dishes within walking distance from our Airbnb, which made pigging out a relatively easy option.

THE TUK TUK. One of our modes of transport while we were in my favourite city.

FERRY RIDE ACROSS THE CHAO PHRAYA RIVER. We took the ferry across the famed river to get to Wang Lang Market.

WANG LANG MARKET. No two markets are the same in Bangkok.

Street food at its best.

MANGO STICKY RICE KAKIGORI AT AFTER YOU. Finely shaved ice, with cubed mangoes and sticky rice within the mountain of icy goodness.

Whilst sitting on the patio, admiring the gorgeous setting of the sun over Chao Phraya River.

Spotted - Real-life Boo beating the heat.

Massive bowl of pork ribs in the most yummy spicy-sour broth for dins.

Local beer.

SEAFOOD FEAST AT NHONG RIM KLONG. A stall at the most unlikely place. Utterly delish food.

KUAY JAB, CHINATOWN. Cuts of innards, chunky slices of roast pork, and rolls of rice noodles bathed in a hearty pork-based pepper broth.

RODE A BIKE TAXI ON THE BUSY STREETS OF BANGKOK. One for the books - nothing quite like windswept hair, plumes of smoke in your face, and too-many-to-count (almost) knee grazing incidents. Absolutely recommended.

RAINBOW MILLE CREPE CAKE. The only appropriate thing to have at the Instagram-hyped Unicorn Cafe.

AUTHENTIC THAI STEAMBOAT. Complete with a charcoal burner.

BANGKOK AT DUSK. My favourite city.

BANANA-EGG PANCAKES Gluten-free, sugar-free.

1. It teaches me about life, in the flesh.  

2. It makes me feel alive. 

3. It never is about me.

Waited patiently for more than 10 mins in the sweltering heat to get an unobstructed shot of the White Temple.

4. It adds to my value as a person.

5. It keeps me in childlike wonder. 

• Wander Woman - 5 Things My First Solo Trip Taught Me

View from where we sat, with tea terraces in the distance.

A colonnade of summery yellow bulbs in the humongous park.

Works in progress.

Clockwise from top to bottom: FRIED PORK KNUCKLE A meaty pork knuckle, fried to crackling perfection - Crunchy skin, tender meat. SALMON SASHIMI with THAI DRESSING Freshly cut salmon sashimi, drizzled liberally with a refreshing spicy-sour dressing of lime, chilli and mint. KAENG HANG LEI Burmese Pork Curry - Pork neck, divinely stewed in ginger, tamarind, turmeric and garlic.

• Travel Log - Chiang Mai (Feb 2017)

DHARA DHEVI An overview of the immense grounds from one of the villas.

Organic farm within the property.

Sticky rice paddy fields within the resort.

Lucky, the resident water buffalo. He's adorable! So fuzzy and tame.

A generous parting gift from Dhara Dhevi.

Indoor rainforest.

Cactus conservatory.

Left (bottom) - KHAO SOI Nothing says “I’m in Chiang Mai” better than a bowl of Khao Soi. This hearty dish is made up of a piece of slow cooked chicken drumstick and yellow egg noodles, bathed in a thick coconut curry broth, garnished with crunchy noodle sticks.

Left - NAM PRIK ORNG Chilli dip with tomatoes and minced pork. Often served with condiments such as parboiled seasonal vegetables and pork crackling. SAI OUA Grilled spicy pork-based sausage. What makes it special is the significant combination of ingredients used in Northern Thai dishes such as lemongrass, chilli, ginger and kaffir lime leaves, resulting in a chewy, well-seasoned burst of flavours. Center (top) - LAAP KHUA MU Spicy pork salad. Believed to originate from Southwest China, the dish consists of minced pork tossed in a rich blend of spices, giving it a mildly spicy yet aromatic taste.

FRIED OYSTERS Raw bean sprouts are assembled atop a sizzling hot plate, then topped with stir-fried oysters, cocooned in crispy egg batter.

BLUE PEA NOODLES Roasted pork, served on a bed of blue noodles, naturally dyed with petals from the blue pea flower. More than aesthetics, the noodles were delightfully springy and tasty on their own.

MAMA INSTANT NOODLES On almost every food cart anywhere in Thailand, there will be packets of Mama Instant Noodles displayed. This supper place took it up a few notches by adding their homemade chilli jam, cracking an egg and tossing in a few slices of meat into the soup. Perfect on a chilly night.

• Travel Log - Chiang Rai (Feb 2017)