Inspiration | Bridget McNulty

The little joys in life:

// July 13th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Cape Town, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

I had a weekend full of the little joys in life…

I met up with old friends,

Stayed in bed late and got served breakfast in bed by my man (and a REAL breakfast in bed, too! Freshly squeezed orange juice, yoghurt and fruit, toast and tea),

Spent hours reading,

Watched a romantic comedy with two of my girlfriends,

Had wintry snuggle time on the couch,

Baked crumpets,

Drank tea and shared stories with a dear friend,

Cleared out my cupboards,

And had a delicious dinner (by candlelight) with my brother and sister-in-law.

It was an ordinary weekend, I suppose – nothing major happened – but it was so full of sparkling moments that I’m entering my week feeling all filled up. And that is a pretty extraordinary feeling, don’t you think?

PS – Don’t you love clearing out your cupboards? I’m only keeping things that I really love, and getting rid of everything else (in anticipation for our trip) and I feel lighter and free-er already!

Food for thought…

// July 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

I got this in an email this morning, and thought it was really rather thought-provoking!

“It is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life.” Evelyn Underhill.

What do you think?
Scarily true, perhaps?

It’s only on days when I feel strung out and as if life is all on the surface that those surface details really get to me… What about you?

10 things we learnt from the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009:

// June 29th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it), Philosophy

I know, I know! Me, writing about sport? Impossible!
Except… The Confederations Cup was played in South Africa, which got me interested in it, and there were some big surprises, which got me even more interested, and then South Africa made it into the final four, which got me hooked!

Here, then, life lessons learnt from soccer:

1. Nothing is ever certain until the final whistle blows.

2. You might think you know where the game is headed, but that can all change in the 90th minute.

3. Underdogs can become finalists.

4. You can’t only defend; you can’t only attack.

5. South African fans are the most colourful, the most enthusiastic and, yes, the loudest.

6. No matter what country you’re from, when the camera focuses on you, you will jump up and down like a crazy thing.

7. Bafana Bafana know how to play soccer.

8. Our players might be small, but they’re tough. (Not like some other players, who fall over if you look at them funny.)

9. Soccer really is the beautiful game.

10. South Africa is ready for the World Cup in 2010. Not quite 100% ready, but it won’t be the disaster many predicted. It might just be one of the most exciting months of our lives.

(Want to read what other people have to say about this? Read the same post on ThoughtLeader – and check out the comments!)

A secret world inside…

// June 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // Blogs, Inspiration

I saw this quote on the lovely Cup of Jo blog earlier this week, and just had to share it with you… What do you think?

“Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they’ve all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe.” – Neil Gaiman

The bend in the road.

// June 24th, 2009 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Life (and the living of it), Prince Edward Island, Writing

I’m still up to my ears in Anne of Green Gables (somehow having seen where she lived makes the books spring to life with the greatest of ease!) and I found a quote I wanted to share with you last night..

Anne is talking about how the path of life is not always straight, how sometimes there’s a bend in the road and try as you might you can’t see past it. I think we like to pretend that we always know exactly where we’re going, but there are definitely times in life where the road has a bend and we just don’t know what will happen next. Here’s what Anne and her dear friend Mrs Allan have to say about it:

They’re talking about Anne going to college, and Mrs Allan says, “Well, I should like to see you go to college, Anne; but if you never do, don’t be discontented about it. We make our own lives wherever we are, after all…. college can only help us to do it more easily. They are broad or narrow according to what we put into them, not what we get out. Life is rich and full here… everywhere… if we can only learn how to open our whole hearts to its richness and fulness.”

“I think I understand what you mean,” said Anne thoughtfully, “and I know I have so much to feel thankful for… oh, so much…”

Isn’t that lovely? To recognise that even if your life isn’t going the way you want it to right now, it’s all about what you put into it. And we all have so much to be grateful for…

Keen to plan a Round-the-World trip?

// June 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Time, travelling

Now you can! Whether for a real life adventure, or to plan a dream trip (that will be more likely to come true if you actually have a specific route in mind!)

How? Good question. This time yesterday I wouldn’t have been able to tell you… But then I discovered a magical little tool called ‘Round-the-World Booking Tool’ on One World – www.oneworld.com

I was actually a little hesitant to click on it in case it didn’t turn out to be what I’d hoped for… but it was! And more. You see, when you’re planning a round-the-world trip there are all kinds of terms and conditions and confusing rules and regulations that can make your head ache – you’re allowed 16 flight segments in 5 continents, but you’re only allowed to fly in one direction (East to West or West to East) and you’re only allowed a certain number of flight segments within each continent. You’re also only allowed to fly the routes that the airlines in that alliance fly (which isn’t too much of a bother with One World – they’ve got everything from British Airways to Cathay Pacific to the LAN group in South America).

Still, when you’re something of a control freak (as I am – had you noticed?) and you really just want to get your flight path organised, the whole thing can seem a little overwhelming.

Which was why I was so thrilled (really thrilled, down to the tips of my toes) when I discovered this Round-the-World booking tool. You type in the cities you want to go to, and then choose your flights and your itinerary is built in real time… Really freaking cool.

I’ll keep you posted as I go along with how easy it is to follow through on the process, but for now – go and dream! At www.oneworld.com

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!)

A heavenly haven.

// June 9th, 2009 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Prince Edward Island, travelling

Just imagine:
You’re in an amazingly beautiful place, surrounded by stunning scenery on all sides, and you’ve been touristing it up all day, visiting all the Anne of Green Gables sites you can find. But you’re tired, too, from a whirlwind two weeks of travelling and visiting and catching up with friends.

What’s the one thing you’re looking for?
If you answered
a) tranquility
b) comfort, or
c) rejuvenation,
you’d be right. Spot on, in fact. And I got all three (and more) last night at the delightful Bonshaw Breezes (check them out at http://www.bonshawbreezes.com/).

From the moment we pulled up and saw this beautiful place…

… with this astounding view, I was hooked! In love. It was some kind of magic.

And the magic continued. It wasn’t only that it was deliciously luxurious (4 and a half star, and worth every one!) but that we felt as if our every need was anticipated… sometimes before we’d even realised we needed something!

The details throughout the guest house are just perfect, right down to the cooling peppermint foot cream (who knew I needed that? But the moment I rubbed it into my feet I realised I had been waiting for it for months…)

They have an outdoor hot tub that looks out over the forest (absolutely wonderful), an indoor spa bath with an array of delicious bath crystals to choose from, and 100 movies on DVD or VHS if you feel like watching a film while you unwind (why don’t all hotels have this? It’s genius!!)

And the garden is just stunning… With horses grazing in a field right over there.

More than anything, though, was the feeling we got when we walked in the door. It wasn’t that we felt at home (although we did – we quickly made ourselves at home!), but that we felt we could completely unwind… there was no stress, no need to do anything, no excuse not to make the most of the beauty surrounding us. In fact, Jess and I loved it so much we decided against going out for dinner and stayed in our bathrobes while we drove to the grocery store to buy ice-cream!

Proof positive that Bonshaw Breezes is one place you won’t be in a hurry to leave!

And the breakfast… oh! The breakfast. A three-course feast of apple, strawberry and rhubarb compote with delicious granola and yoghurt, a homemade frittata (yum!) and a delicious morning version of apple pie. Absolutely scrumptious. And served so beautifully…

But what really made the stay so fabulous was our wonderful hostess, Sharon. She was so warm and wonderfully quirky, and immediately made us feel like we belonged in her lovely home.