2024, oh, what a year…
I’m going to start with this — 2024 was a life-changing year for me…
It was the year that I decided to leave my full-time job and dive head first into this wildlife photography business.
It was the year that I decided to take my health back — both mentally and physically.
It was the year that I started to remember who I am and what I want to achieve in this life…
Honestly, those last two points, ugh… I cannot stress how incredibly important they have been. Now I can look back and realise how much I had been struggling, for years. I couldn’t recognise it at the time, it was something that I had to step away from in order to see. See how I had been saying ‘no’ to things that I have always loved, how much more I stayed in my mind and avoided doing things that brought me joy, how much more time I spent online getting lost in other peoples lives instead of actually living my own. I lost myself. It makes me incredibly sad, and grateful at the same time.
Sad to think of everything that I missed out on and the opportunities that I didn’t pursue during that time. But grateful because now I can see it, and I can make all of these choices to change that for myself moving forwards. Here’s the perfect example — during the first couple lockdowns, my relationship with photography and my love of wildlife blossomed more than I ever imagined — oh my goodness, it was the best. Then things changed, I stopped going out with my camera, and when I did it was because I felt like I ‘had’ to. Just something else on the to-do list that needed to be ticked off.
Well, in the first three months after leaving my job, I went out more with my camera than I had in the three previous years
I have learned and continue to learn so much, and I am constantly pinching myself that this is now my life.
This is not to say that it was all job-related, I know that was a part of it, but I think a lot of it was mental exhaustion from a bunch of different things. Giving so much of my week to a job I didn’t love as much as I used to and feeling unappreciated in what I was doing, the mental stress that carried on from the Melbourne lockdowns, the lack of movement and mental habits that have always helped me regulate. It created the perfect storm.
I know this is different from my usual posts, but I have realised how important it is to talk about the hard things and show people they are not alone.
The past eight months I have fought like hell to remember who I am and what I want to achieve during my time on this planet. I am so motivated to help our planet and every animal that calls it home. I’ve have started remembering the joy that is in every moment. The work on myself is on-going, I still have so far to go to truly get back to myself, but I am really proud of what I have accomplish so far…
If you are struggling or you feel like you’ve lost your spark — I hear you and am here for you. Please do not hesitate to reach out — I am always available for a chat, an adventure, or a day with our cameras. It’s hard to bounce back, but it is oh, so, possible.
Looking forward to seeing what 2025 has in store…
