Bridget McNulty

Reflections on the last month…

// June 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Laughter, Life (and the living of it), Strange Nervous Laughter, travelling

A month ago I left home to go to Joburg for a writer’s conference, and then to the USA for 3 weeks… It doesn’t seem possible! It feels like at least 3 months, it’s definitely been one of the busiest months of my life.

What’s interesting, though, is thinking back to how I felt a month ago, and realising how much of what I was worried about didn’t materialise. Isn’t it often that way?

I was hugely excited to go on holiday, but a little apprehensive too, for a number of reasons… It was my first solo trip with diabetes, my first overseas trip with diabetes, my first time crossing time zones with diabetes (are you noticing a trend here??) but also my first time away from my man for 3 weeks, and the first time seeing friends I hadn’t seen in 4 years. Four years! It’s a long time. And I was worried that although I felt like we could pick up where we left off, maybe we couldn’t. Maybe it would be awkward. Maybe I’d get claustrophobic not having any alone time for three weeks straight. Maybe I’d get sick of being sociable.

Maybe maybe maybe.

But none of my worries materialised! How fantastic. My diabetes behaved itself wonderfully – I didn’t have any scary lows, I adjusted to eating (strange) American food with no hassles, and I felt remarkably well the whole time I was there. Seeing my old friends was incredible – honestly, it felt as if I’d just left the room and then come back in and it was 2005 (only we all look better and are less crazy than we were in college!) And I didn’t get claustrophic at all. I took alone time when I needed it, but most of the time I was just happy to be with my friends.

I had forgotten how much I love my US friends… I suppose I’d blocked it out so that I wouldn’t miss them too much. When I think back over the last few weeks, the prevailing word that pops out at me is FUN. It was so much fun! I laughed so much, I really connected with people that I love, I saw new things and had so many adventures. I am ready to travel!

It’s amazing how alive travelling makes you feel. Have you noticed that? Being surrounded by fresh sights and new ideas and different ways of living is so invigorating. One of the greatest gifts this trip has given me is confidence in our round the world trip, later this year. I’m ready: physically, emotionally, and diabetically!

It was also great for Strange Nervous Laughter. I met my editor (and had a lovely lunch with her), I made connections with extremely helpful people, I had two great radio interviews, and I feel like I gave the book a good start in life. Where it goes from here is out of my hands!

So all in all? An extraordinary trip, that far exceeded my expectations!
That said, I’m very happy to be home. And I will be until it’s time to sail off into the sunset again…

(Me in NYC!)

In the mood for a holiday?

// March 3rd, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Durban, Life (and the living of it)

I certainly am!
So I’m going on one… but not to some exotic island. Nope, I’m off to Durban, to visit family and friends (but mainly family) and spend some QT with them. My dad had an operation last week, and my brother and sister-in-law and amazingly cute niece are heading back to the Netherlands next week, so it’s time I spent some family time at home.

No complaints here!

Oh, and my mom and I are going SKYDIVING on Thursday, did I mention that? Eeeeek!!!

(not Durban!)

A day of total slow…

// December 15th, 2008 // No Comments » // Cape Town, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

I know, I know! I’ve been rather slack of late. But things have been non-stop busy.

My best friend came to stay last week, which was lovely, and then the day after he left, my man and I jetted off to Knysna (in the car, not a jet, unfortunately!) for a truly amazing wedding… We stayed a short distance from the wedding in what is possibly the coolest place I’ve ever stayed – Fern Gully (check it out at www.ferngully.co.za). If you are ever in the Knysna area, stay here!

The pictures absolutely don’t do it justice. It was a little wooden cabin (handbuilt!) on stilts overlooking the Knysna forest – completely private and completely wonderful. They’d built an outdoor shower on the deck so you could shower practically in the forest, and we were visited on our first afternoon by a Knysna loerie – apparently very rare. We woke each morning to birdsong and the sound of the breeze in the trees… heavenly!

But after the wonderful wedding and the very fun (but long) 4 hour drive each way, I’m pooped. My brother and his girlfriend arrive to stay with us on Wednesday, and all four of us are driving home to Durban on Monday – staying overnight at the extraordinary Nieu Bethesda, home to the Owl House (www.owlhouse.co.za). And then Christmas! With an epic 13 family members and nonstop celebrations…

… All of which I will blog about this week. For today, though, I’m having a day of total slow. Running a few errands. Reading voraciously. Drinking tea and being still. I believe the word I’m looking for is ‘tonic’.

Here’s the loerie we made friends with!

In the living of life:

// November 19th, 2008 // 3 Comments » // Cape Town, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it), Philosophy

I often get caught up in reporting on it. As something cool / exciting / lovely is happening, I’ll think, “Ooh! Must write about this! Must tell so and so! Mustn’t forget this!”

But I’m beginning to think that’s a somewhat foolish approach. Because as soon as you take yourself out of whatever is happening, you take yourself out of it. It loses some of its flavour. One of the most difficult challenges my practical philosophy class ever set was to ‘just’ do something. When you’re driving, just drive. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re reading, just read. This is bordering on impossible for me! When I’m driving, I’m singing. When I’m eating, I’m planning. When I’m reading, I’m humming. And all along I’m thinking, thinking, thinking.

So the past few weeks I’ve been trying to correct the balance (and becoming a bad blogger in the process, I apologise!) It’s an extraordinarily eventful time for me, all of a sudden. I was sick, then my man was sick, then my parents came for a lovely lovely weekend visit, then I found out about the US book (which I’m still over the moon about!). Now I have work to do and an impending trip to Namibia (for work! Before the end of the year!) and we’re going cherry picking and lawn bowling and 80s partying this weekend, and next weekend I’ve got the Cosmo Awesome Women event in Joburg and then a 90th birthday in Knysna (5 hours from Cape Town). The day I arrive back I’m probably off to Namibia for a week, and when I return my best friend is coming to stay with me. Then my man and I are going back to Knysna for a wedding, and when we get back my brother and his girlfriend arrive to stay with us. And then we’re driving back to Durban (a mini road trip which will take  couple of days) for Christmas with the whole family.

So, as you can see, if I didn’t stay centered and in the moment, my head might be flying off its hinges!

And the one thing I keep returning to is that I want to enjoy this time of year. It’s frantic and full of people and probably lacking in the alone time I like so much, but it’s so exciting! And I want to be fresh and rested and firmly in the present moment so I can enjoy it. I don’t want to be stressed.

Don’t you want to join me? Join me in this experiment to see if you can ‘just’ do whatever you’re doing right now?

The end of the year is nigh!

// September 25th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Life (and the living of it), Time

Is it just me, or does it feel like the end of the year is rushing towards us all of a sudden?
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve started making end-of-year holiday plans, or because I’ve figured out what the rest of my year will look like work-wise, but it feels, suddenly, like the year is about to end.

And I’ve already set myself an end-of-year challenge: To Keep Calm.

Every Christmastime seems to turn into a mad panic – trying to get gifts for everyone, organise holidays, go to various parties and Have Fun all the time. But usually I’m so exhausted from what that year has brought that all I want to do is curl up at home with a book! So this year I’m going to approach the festive season (from a distance) with a deep sense of calm. I’m finally going to do what all those magazines tell you to, and start buying presents earlier than mid-December. I’m going to remain balanced. I’m going to give myself enough time off that I can actually enjoy all the festivities, instead of feeling strung out and tired like last year’s Christmas tree lights! I’m going to instill that sense of balance that I’ve had all year into the Crazy Time of Year.

And yes, Christmas is still 3 months away (today, in fact!) and that’s a quarter of a year. And there are so so many things that are going to happen before then. But just knowing that this end-of-year won’t be a mad downhill rush towards the festive season is making me calmer already!

And what else is life for than to cultivate a calm and happy heart?

Port Elizabeth, here I come!

// September 4th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Cape Town, Life (and the living of it), Nature

Yip, I’m off again. This time with the man, and by car. We’re driving to Port Elizabeth tomorrow (about a 6 or 7 hour drive from Cape Town), spending the night, then exploring Jeffrey’s Bay and St Francis Bay on Saturday (within an hour of Port Elizabeth, I think) and driving home on Sunday.

Phew!
A lot of driving.

I think it will be fun, though. We’ve got lots of padkos (snacks for the car), I just got a book on CD from the library, we’re burning mixes tonight and we’ve booked into two lovely-looking B&Bs – one in a charming guest house, one right on the beach. Oh, and all our expenses are being paid for, because it’s a work trip. Delightful!

I’ll report back on Monday, with photos and such… Until then, have an *awesome* weekend!