Returning to London for the first time in almost 2 years (Part 1)

Returning to London for the first time in almost 2 years (Part 1) 

I'm writing this from my friend's house, looking directly across at 33 Ditton Hill Road – the house I called home for almost 18 years.

It's surreal. Same front door. Same pub, just a different colour. Same neighbours. This is where the boys were born and raised, where I built my 'new' life after meeting Heinie and moving to London. This house also witnessed my transformation from tired executive to first struggling, then thriving owner of ROAR!. Today, a different life is playing out behind those familiar windows.

Sitting here, I remember what a friend said yesterday: "A house is just bricks and mortar." The memories, the love, the growth – we carry all of that with us. Home really is where the heart is, and my heart is 6,000 miles away with my boys in Jamestown, Stellenbosch.

This is my first time back in the UK since August 2023 - where has the time gone?

I'm seeing things with different eyes.

The familiar and the foreign

Landing at Heathrow, I grabbed coffees for Scott and me – £8.50 and I remind myself “don’t do the pound-rand currency conversion” – then we hit the road. Driving on the M25, the muscle memory kicked in immediately. The M25, the roundabouts, the British traffic that once frustrated me and eventually became second nature.

The green struck me most. I’d forgotten just how beautiful England is in the Summer. And the weather? Absolutely ‘quintessentially’ British – and how fitting that it is the first week of Wimbledon. British friends are excited to share that “it’s the best Summer we’ve had since the start of COVID in 2020”. I remember tanning in the garden, pink gin and tonic in hand… the skies seemed clearer and the days longer than anyone could remember.

What feels completely different today is my relationship with it all. It's not London that's changed. It's me.

The magic of soul connections

Reconnecting with friends has been the most beautiful surprise. We fell back into conversation like it was yesterday. Real friendships exist outside geography and time zones. They're soul connections that transcend physical presence.

Full circle moment: A Sat AM spinning class with Colette at Nuffield Health (just like the old days). It used to be my favourite thing to do. I loved it so much. Still do. Colette isn't just my former transformation coach, she's my South African soul sister. She played a pivotal role in my physical, mental, and emotional transformation when I left corporate life back in 2017. I reflect on how far I've come. #progress

Earlier that morning, my friend Rob drove over for coffee. Moments before he arrived, I felt a familiar voice creep in: "Why would Rob drive all this way just to see me?" When he arrives I decide to share this vulnerable moment with him, this glimpse of the old insecurities that still surface sometimes. Later that day, he sent me a simple image with five truths: You are Amazing. You are Important. You are Special. You are Perfect. You are Loved. Sometimes we need our friends to remind us of what we forget about ourselves.

Doing what I love, where and how I want to 

I also got to work with Scott in person for the first time in almost two years. We're on Zoom calls together at least three days a week, but there's still something magical about being in the same room, whiteboarding ideas, sharing the energy of creation in real time.

Lunch with Tia in Kingston-upon-Thames, sitting by the river watching the world go by. When London's weather is perfect, the city transforms into pure joy. I felt that familiar London happiness from the best summer days, but with a crucial difference – I can appreciate it now without needing it.

Perhaps most startling was seeing the boys' friends who stayed behind. Children who have transformed into young adults - seemingly overnight. Deeper voices, adult conversations, university plans. Time doesn't pause for geographical distance.

Another ‘full circle’ moment: As I prepare to head to Paris for a client workshop, I'm struck by something profound: I've built exactly the work-life I dreamed of but never thought possible.

I'm doing work that energises rather than depletes me. Teaching psychological safety to organisations – the very thing I once desperately needed. Working from anywhere with anyone on projects that matter. Creating my own schedule, choosing my clients, designing my days around what lights me up.

I am reflecting on the woman I’ve become, aspiring to live in complete alignment with my values, working where my heart feels most alive, building a business that serves others while serving my soul.

Why this matters to you

My transformation didn't happen overnight. It started with me recognising that brilliant, capable people don't have to accept work that slowly drains their spirit. That "this is just how things are" isn't a final answer.

This is exactly why I'm researching workplace wellbeing for MOAR! Making Work Magic Inside & Out. [Join the study here] – because understanding what it takes to move from surviving to thriving at work has never been more important.

What if your story could be the key that unlocks someone else's courage to completely reimagine what's possible for them?

Next stop: Paris 

Sitting here opposite 33 Dittion Hill Road, now my 'old' life, I feel nothing but gratitude. Gratitude for what was, and crystal clarity about what is.

Stay tuned for part 2 … next week I’ll report back on the second leg of my trip and the deeper truths I'm discovering about what happens when you have the courage to make brave decisions and take bold action - to align your work AND life with your calling.

Sometimes you have to go back - come full circle - to fully appreciate how far you've come.