Last year this time, I’d just moved out of The Shath.  A few weeks later, my car was stolen.  A few weeks after that, I fell in love with being independent & single.  I’d lived in Durban city for a year and I was finding my way round without GPS assistance.  I didn’t make that many friends in Durban, but the few I did will last a life time:

• Cath.  Sigh.  My Cath.  Like I say in my Characters Page, we’ve been in each other’s lives forever, we just didn’t know it.  She saved me.  This girl saved me without me ever expecting her to.  From sharing ten packs, listening to Alanis or singing Britney with remotes, to packing me a care package for all of us at the hospital waiting for news on my brothers life.  After letting me bath in her bath after not bathing for almost 3 days.  Most especially, for letting me become a part of her beautiful little daughter, Cameron’s, life.

• Juicy Justin.  This boy runs deep in my veins.  He was my first friend outside of family or living arrangements.  He organised with one of his pilot friends to do a helicopter fly-over on our first “date”.  He made me feel welcome, pretty & open with him.  He doesn’t know this, but he was one of the first guys I let myself have a crush on without being afraid of getting hurt.  Nothing ever came of it, of course, we are just too good at being platonic friends forever, but I don’t regret my crush on him – I think it made our bond stronger in some strange way. Justin was the first person at my side when Baboo was shot.  He arrived at some ungodly hour of the morning and marched right into the hospital to hold my hand and let me gaze into nowhere with a smoke in my hand, not having to say a word.

I was staring at men in wetsuits all day, right on the beach at the harbour, and I was being paid to be there.  I loved my job recruiting divers, but it wasn’t challenging and I mostly found myself bored, restless and wanting more.  When what was meant to be a 1 month temp contract turned into me being employed for nearly a year, it all came to a crashing and sudden end with my department going under.  I was, once again, jobless.  And had no car.  I had no idea what I wanted to do next.

One night I received a call from my doctor friend Jax to come visit her in her new home for a weekend.  I booked a one way ticket, packed a bag and ended up staying for a month.  I literally flew home to pack up my flat, put my things in storage & was planning on going back to Jax in Joburg within a few days.  But then my brother was shot on duty, in the head, twice.  My life turned upside down all over again and I ended up staying with my mom to help look after Baboo for just under three months. During this time, my then new friend Bergen, was my sanity.  He called all the time and I kept telling him I couldn’t wait to come “home” to Joburg.

When I got back to Joburg, I moved into my own little cottage on Jax’s farm, worked for her practice half day and pretty much lounged around looking at pretty horses all day.  It was a peaceful life, but it still wasn’t what I wanted.  I still found myself twisting my thumbs and wringing my hands in frustration.

And then I met Jon.  Bergen had been almost insistent that we’d “have a connection” but I looked at this quiet man, the one who seemed so distant and shy and really couldn’t imagine anything serious happening.  Plus, I was happy being single.  I liked having my own agenda and time alone.  A little too much, perhaps.

But after a road trip down to Durban for a weekend, Jon and I hit it off insanely.  The book’s I’d brought with to pass the time weren’t even glanced at, and before I knew it the high light of the weekend wasn’t the actual weekend, it was the trip there and back.  Within a few weeks I suddenly found myself being called someone’s girlfriend, and what’s more – I was loving it.

Soon after that, I bagged my dream job.  The one I’m at now, albeit only being a temporary 3month contract.  Social Media has become a lifestyle for me, not just a hobby.  I work long hours, had to drive almost 2 hours every morning to get to work (until I moved recently) and took my time in getting used to working in the CBD of Joburg.

It’s a complete new lifestyle. There’s so much culture here, and every weekend I look at our shared couple’s calendar and cringe-smile at how busy we are.  I’ve made such good friends.  My social life has taken a turn for the insane, my new home in Northcliff is BEAUTIFUL and my housemates live just like I do.

Things have changed.  Again.  And although I’ve become almost nonchalant about how much change has taken place, I’m really glad it has.  I think I’ve grown as a woman, person, employee & individual.  I finally know what I want out of life.  I’m finally reaching for a goal.  I finally feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be.  I finally feel like ME again and not just some strange closed up version there of.

I’ve finally arrived. And it was just in time, too.

[Edited to add: My bff friend ExMi.  She's a whoreface bumpants but I love her and our daily snippets of chats, bitchiness, laughter and snorting.  I don't see her often enough, but when I do we make up for lost time.  She lives in the 'vale though, that's pretty effing far.  But this is me mentioning her.  Because she whined about me not doing it first time round.  Smooches slutty mcslutterson!]