Birthday Frolics, Antwerp and More

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see that my latest photos are hashtagged #birthdayfrolics. Yes, SoulJourner's Story and I have our birthdays in the same month! Whilst last year was spent partying it up in Las Vegas, this year my birthday was spent in the more sober and more cultured Antwerp.

It must be because at 29, I am feeling more pensive and reflective. A lot of investment and planning for the future has been going on this year so far. Also, there have been some disappointments and major losses which have all forced me to step into my grown up shoes and keep my balance despite the challenges.

Just touched down in Antwerp Town!

The next few blog posts, will be reflective. I think with my twenties drawing to a close, I have learned a thing or two about life, which there will be no harm in sharing. Also, this blogging journey has also presented some life lessons which I feel will be beneficial to share to those about to embark on a project - blogging or otherwise. So watch this space.

Anyway, back to Antwerp. The beautiful city of Antwerp in Northern Belgium, is just a hop, skip and jump away from London. (Well, actually, we took two trains!), but honestly it was no effort at all, and the journey itself was so much fun!

Like most European cities, the architecture stands out. In fact whilst approaching the exit of Antwerpen Centraal Station, you are greeted with a very beautifully decorated glass wall, with a large clock feature and gold intricacies. I must say that as far as first impressions go, this is not too bad!

As we only had one full day with half days on either side, we didn't have time to explore the whole city (lesson learned for next time!) but what we did do, was spend half a day at Antwerp Zoo! The zoo, located just behind Central Station is in the ideal location for tourists. And at only €19 per adult, it's a winner.

Aside from the zoo, we also enjoyed shopping in the historical town, gushing at the large rocks at the many diamond shops, and enjoying the ambiance at some of the outdoor eateries. 

Antwerp is definitely a place I would love to go back to and enjoy more of. Where have you visited lately? Is your birthday around the corner? How will you be celebrating?

Happy Birthday Souljourners!

Happy Birthday to us!

Today marks SoulJourner's Story’s one year anniversary. Whilst yesterday was spent in Paris, taking clients to see the very exclusive Maison de Pierre Hermé, and sampling delicious macaroons,  on the 15^th day of May one year ago, it was the last day of my one year contract at my previous job. Recent tensions in the office had been grating on me. I was exhausted, but also relieved to be finishing, and excited. (I was going to Las Vegas to celebrate my birthday the following week). That day for me, marked the conclusion of a long awaited last chapter, but I was also on the cusp of something new and exciting.

Luxurious, hand crafted macaroons created by celebrated chef Pierre Hermé

I remember, the weather being glorious, and as I walked out of the office block and towards the London underground, I guess I felt like a freed prisoner seeing daylight for the first time. It didn’t matter that I was saying goodbye to the comfort of routine I had become accustomed to, or that I didn't know what next my professional life would offer. In fact I couldn't care less. All that mattered was that I was ready to embark on the next adventure. And that adventure was Souljourner’s Story.

Pierre Hermé also creates beautifully rich chocolate tarts

I had stories, experience, words of encouragement, ramblings and musings brimming on the inside of me, and I was in a hurry to pour it all out, to turn them into blog posts, and to share them with would listen read. I wanted to have a voice. I wanted to change my life.  And so, once I reached my stop I rushed off my train, walking briskly and  avoiding all the idle perambulators until I got home. Once inside, I turned on my laptop, opened Word and for a second didn’t know exactly what to say, or where to begin.

Enjoying the sunshine on the balcony of the Maison de Pierre Hermé

“How about you start by introducing yourself?”, a thought rang in my head.

"Hello World", I cautiously typed. It sounded like an OK place to begin. So I continued, and by the time I had finished, I felt like I had begun the process of unburdening myself for the first time, in what felt like ages. The next day, I transformed that word document, into Souljourner’s Story’s first blog post.

Heart shaped feature inside the creative space of Pierre Hermé

Since then, Souljourner's Story has continued to educate and encourage. We haven’t always got it right, but we have always come from a good place. Sometimes, it has been exhausting, and even frustrating. But I have learned loads on the way, and have formed some great relationships with a handful of my beautiful “blogging sisters”. 

I have both squealed in excitement at blog posts that have been unexpectedly popular, and cried over the times a “cut and paste” job has gone wrong and lost all my hard work!

One thing for sure is that it’s you readers and commenters (both negative and positive) that have given me the zeal to keep going.Thank you so much for clicking through, reading, following, commenting and sharing.  God bless you all. We are definitely not finished yet. Watch this space!

Pierre Hermé's book collection

I leave you with this

First Blog post: Hello World

Most popular : Organising Your Team Christmas Dinner?

Least popular (lol!): Closed Doors, New Beginnings

Most controversial: Four things we could all Learn fromDonald Trump

My personal favourites (I have two!): Study Time: Five Scriptures to Encourage the Young Professional and Commuter Reads: Foreign Gods, Inc

Four Things We Can All Learn From Donald Trump

Disclaimer: This is by no means an endorsement of Donald Trump. I could have written my blog post on "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People", but this is the positive zone, so...

With people in the UK voting for assembly members, councillors, mayors and police commissioners, today is the UK's biggest election day, and in keeping with the theme, I have decided to speak on something a bit controversial. Whatever our sentiments are towards Donald Trump's presidential campaign, there is no denying that there is a lot that can be learned from this man's apparent success.

Credits: Wikipedia

1. Have an unwavering belief in yourself
When Trump announced that he was running for presidency in June last year, I am sure we all laughed collectively. After that I didn't give it a second thought, because I actually thought there was no way this announcement could be serious. However, with the ever increasing amount of coverage Mr. Trump was receiving I began to realise that this guy is not a farce. But a full on presidential candidate. With a whole team behind him, and a small following of supporters! The lesson here? No matter what you are aiming for, believe in yourself, and others will believe in you too.

2. Be persistent and fight resistance!
After hearing that all the other republican candidates had fallen off the presidential wagon one by one, and that Trump will be THE likely republican nominee to face off the opposition, I could only stare at my TV screen in amazement. Like Trump, you need to keep going, even in the face of criticism and ridicule. 

Credits: cnn.com

3. Stand out from the crowd
Whilst the other candidates ((republican and democrat) have been blazing their campaign trail with talk about the economy and foreign policy, our friend Trump had other more pressing issues to speak about.  In this modern age, I can actually say I have never heard of any presidential candidate saying they will build a wall to keep immigrants out; or making lewd comments about a female reporter's monthly cycle . However, the joke that is Trump's presidential campaign has marked him out as the subject of many a discussions. I am by no means saying you should be as lewd, however I am saying that you can never expect to stand out if you are always trying to fit in.

4. Talent will get you there, determination will keep you there!
There is no doubt that Trump is a very successful businessman and TV personality. It is this success, that has catapulted him into popularity. But did you know that Trump has NO political experience? But what he does have is determination (and an amazing PR team!) What am I saying? Talent can only get you so far. 

Credits:abcnews.com

Sorry, I know you'd have  rather read about something else today, but what do you think? Are the any additional lessons we can learn from the man that is Trump?