Hello!

I'm new to Steemit and excited to be a part of it. I was introduced to it my my lovely aunt (@kiligirl) and have heard such great things about it.

I'm South African, born in Jo'burg. My origins are German and Austrian. My great grandfather "escaped becoming a priest in Germany by jumping into the Bodensee and swimming to South Africa". Yeah... lol. My mom, who's Austrian, arrived here in the 70s and then went to live in Italy for 6 years before returning and marrying my (South African) father.

My passions in life are my animals, history, philosophy, psychology, reading, and travel. I love to travel.

I spent the first two months of the year exploring Europe, looking for something and running from many things. I met people from England, Wales, Russia, California and many more backgrounds. I slept in lovely places. I slept in awful places. I ate great food and I ate like how I imagine a monk to eat. I lay cuddled up in a warm bed, forgetting how freaking cold it was outside. I stayed in a tiny Italian dwelling with no insulation, no heat and no hot water and... well, it was a #€£¥# terrible experience but obviously I survived. I aced the somewhat complex European transport systems (complex for me because we don't really have much of a public transport system here in SA so we all drive). Got woken up at 5 am after a 13 hour bus ride (which began in Turin , a city that oddly enough felt a lot like Jo'burg and one I was quite frightened to be in alone as a foreigner) to aggressive German border control stampeding the aisle while shouting out instructions and pulling two admittedly scary looking people off the bus.

Amazing how one bus ride through 3 different countries can remind you of all the stereotypic characteristics of the Italians, Germans and Austrians.

I felt like I was permanently on the move. Alone. Being alone was the best part. You're so much more open to meeting new, interesting people. I had the conversations I felt were lacking in my usual, somewhat mundane, life in Johannesburg. I was totally encapsulated in Four Paws Country Retreat, a dog boarding business which I had started 5 years ago. Every ounce of myself and those years was invested in Four Paws and each little animal in my care. The experiences I collected of each intricate moment will fill my heart forever.

However, the emotional side of it took it out of me and, for my own health, I needed to find an alternative. Thus the need for a little adventure. Call it an intermission if you may, something I needed in order to wave off the old and welcome the new. But it was time. I suppose it was my mom's illness that was the ultimate deciding factor to close, so that she could feel free to sell the property and live out her remaining years in comfort. No regrets.

I did a PGCE while running my business and went straight into teaching when I got back to SA. It has been challenging yet utterly fulfilling. The kids I teach are remarkable in so many ways. They're able to drive me completely nuts (wanting to pull your hair out or wishing you were small enough to fit into a cupboard and hide kind of nuts) and have me stand back in admiration all in the space of a minute.

I'm glad to be part of the Steemit community and look forward to learning more about it. I noticed a lot of people like to mention what topics they'll write about from the onset, however, my mind takes me to too many places in a day and I don't really want to limit myself in that way.

Till the next time!