Ahh 2021, what a year of change and surprise you’ve been! I’ve often felt like I’ve been stuck in a game of “Red Light, Green Light” constantly being caught out and made to return to the start.

As you’ll have guessed, I’m postponing my big adventure again and this is the first time in 4 years, that I’m truly excited and happy to be doing so because…🥁🥁🥁… there’s a new plant afoot!

I’ve decided to use the extra time I’ve been gifted to expand my attempts and ski to both the North and South Poles solo and unassisted.

To achieve this big dream means that my training will have to change and that I need to get super serious about polar prep.

So, in addition to tyre pulling, hiking, strength training and running, I’m planning on doing a couple of mini expeditions to really solidify my polar survival skills.

My first expedition will be in Norway’s beautiful Hardangervidda mountain plateau and starts on Valentine’s Day 2022, which I think is apt since I have fallen head over heels with polar exploration.

I can’t tell you how excited this all makes me feel, especially as a black woman! Whilst I suspect that many of us have dreamt of doing amazing adventures, few have actually been able to achieve it.

My hope is that polar exploration will become more socially diverse; ushering in an age of gender and ethnic diversity and that access to funding will no longer be a barrier to participation.

A massive thank you to everyone who’s stuck by me and encouraged me on my journey so far. I’d never have made it this far if without you.❤️❤️❤️

Someone recently asked me what my favourite season was, and without hesitation I replied: “The Autumn!”. What’s not to love?! The leaves are changing colours; warm, spicy drinks; there’s a crispness in the air and of course the lead up to Christmas with all the good stuff on telly. As I hail from the land of eternal summer to me this season is simply magical!

But over the past week or so I’ve had a chance to contemplate the significance of this season in my life more profoundly.

As a gardener, I’ve learnt how important it is to plan and put in the long hours of preparing the soil and planting out the bulbs and seeds during the autumn, to be able to enjoy my favourite fruits and flowers during spring and summer. And I see so many parallels in the way that I am preparing the garden for next spring and my life at the moment.

To say that 2021 has not gone exactly to plan would be a huge understatement!

I never imagined that I’d end up spending 2 months in Aruba after having to fly out for a family emergency. And although the reason I travelled out originally was quite harrowing, the trip turned out to be enriching and exactly what I needed.

I also couldn’t have envisaged losing two dear friends who were such forces for good in my life. But as I grieve their loss, I have felt like that grief has unlocked a determination to live my life more purposefully. And that hasn’t meant making big, bold moves, but rather simply asking how I can practice being kind, patient, gracious, and generous in every encounter as I navigate this life that I have been gifted.

So, I welcome Autumn 2021! Because it heralds sustainable change, maturity, and the promise of reaping an enduring reward for the long hours spent working hard to attain my goals and dreams.