MY JOURNAL

Before lockdown, my brother and I never really had a close relationship. By nature he is shy and relatively quiet plus he has typical teenage boy interests; like PlayStation games, phone games and cricket. We had nothing in common to connect us like my sister and I have. This has always bothered me because I often worried that he may have had the perception that I love Megan more, or that I had no interest in being part of his life. This was one of the main reasons I brought my family over to Korea last year and during their trip I learned a lot more about his personality and how very funny he is, but we didn’t kindle a connection yet.

On March 13th I flew to South Africa for a long overdue visit. I hadn’t seen friends for over three years, I missed the African sun, I was set to attend a Jacki Bruniquel workshop that I had wanted to attend for years and I really needed a break. However I was not ready for the announcement of a hard lockdown for 21 days. It was scheduled to start on March 26, 4 days before I was going to leave.

One day we were driving past a field of horses and a tiny voice said “I want to ride horses Mommy”. My little sister was in the back dreaming big dreams already. She fell in love with horses at a very young age and we all thought it was just a phase. The phase most little girls go through. But for Megan her love for horses only grew stronger.

Originally from South Africa, I left its shores after I graduated, to experience the great wide world. What was supposed to be a gap year, turned into 9 years and counting. I came to Korea to teach for a year, fell in love with its people and culture, and the rest is as the saying goes is “history”.

The dictionary describes a tribe as a group of people with similar values and interests. We all have a need to belong, and tribes offer us a sense of belonging. They are loyal, encouraging, and your soul feels full when you are with them. You can show up and be real around them because they give you room for discovery and growth to become your best self. And on this day a designer, a dancer and a photographer formed a very special bond. We formed a tribe. This, as Oprah says, was my “aha” moment and my mantra for the rest of the year.