Redefining Abundance: What My Holiday Taught Me About Living Fully

I’ve just returned from three incredible weeks in South Africa – and it’s left me reflecting deeply on what abundance really means. This trip wasn’t restful in the traditional sense, but it was rich in connection, courage and meaning. It reminded me that redefining abundance isn’t about having more, but about feeling full – of love, purpose and presence.

As I unpack (emotionally and literally), I can already see how this trip has reignited my excitement for helping women design their own full, meaningful lives – the kind we explore together inside the Bucket List Board Workshop.

When the Trip Didn’t Start to Plan

Our adventure didn’t start smoothly. Just as our bags were at the door and our Uber was five minutes away, my husband checked his email and found our flight had been cancelled. Not delayed, cancelled.

Cue a mad dash of phone calls, rebooking, frustration, sadness, and some unpacking. But in hindsight, that unexpected pause gave us time to slow down before the trip had even begun – to breathe, repack and wisely move a very large 50th birthday gift out of hand luggage and into a checked box (padded with most of my son’s wardrobe and several bags of uncrystallised ginger for my addicted family).

When we finally landed – following cancellations, delays and a missed connection – we were met with the biggest hugs and joyful tears. Seven years is a long time not to be together.

A Whirlwind of Connection and Wonder

From Durban to a private game reserve with 14 family members, to a sugar cane farm and down to Cape Town – we covered a lot of ground.

We celebrated birthdays, a wedding, shared old memories, made new ones and reconnected with each other through long chats over slow meals, wine tastings and braais (translation = BBQs).

We spent three nights in a private game reserve with incredible guides and three local women who transformed our sketchy meal plans into feasts, gifting us time to sit by the fire under the stars.

There were lions, rhinos, elephants (yes, I fed one and got a generous glob of elephant slobber in return), and even a rare cheetah sighting on our way out. In between, there were the smaller wonders too – dung beetles rolling their treasures, magnificent trees and skies that made you stop mid-sentence.

Lessons from the Wild

We later visited my husband’s family on a sugar cane farm, where we watched cane burns light up the night sky, tried 3D archery (as my daughter put it, “Mum, you’re not a good shot, but you are a good sport!”), and talked about how much adaptability and creativity matter as we grow.

Then came Cape Town — my soul’s home.

From ziplining through the Elgin mountains to walking the colourful, history-filled streets of Bo-Kaap, it was emotional and expansive. We hiked Lion’s Head (I wasn’t sure I could do it, but we powered up in an hour), and my kids paraglided off Signal Hill.

I was reminded again how courage often hides inside those moments we almost say no to and how much richer life feels when we say yes.

Redefining Abundance

Coming home for my son’s 21st, surrounded by the community we’ve built here in Perth, I realised abundance isn’t about how much we have – it’s about how deeply we live.

For most of this year, I’ve honestly felt a little disconnected from my word for 2025 — abundance. My business hasn’t felt abundant, my energy’s been patchy (hello, iron deficiency), and I wondered if I’d chosen the wrong guiding intention altogether.

But looking back now, I see it so clearly:

💫 Abundance in love and connection
💫 Abundance in courage — trying new things, saying yes, and watching others do the same
💫 Abundance in experiences and presence
💫 Abundance in designing a full, meaningful life — not just a productive one

It didn’t look like I imagined, but it arrived just the same.

Designing a Full Life (Not Just a Busy One)

Now that I’m home again, I’m still settling and reflecting, but ready to reconnect with this community – a space for the big questions, the gentle shifts and the magic of living more intentionally.

If you’re craving a way to capture what matters most and create visual anchors for your next chapter, I’d love to invite you to my Bucket List Board Workshop.

It’s a hands-on, heart-led experience where you’ll:
✨ Clarify what you truly want next (beyond the “shoulds”)
✨ Create a visual reminder of what energises and inspires you
✨ Build momentum toward the life you actually want to live

Because abundance doesn’t just happen – we design it.