Soaring, Sleeping & Showing Up: A Week of Firsts, Farewells, and Family

This past week has been a blur of altitude and emotion.

I went paragliding for the first time, catching thermals and gliding over Sussex with the wind in my face. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so small and so alive at the same time. It wasn’t something I planned - just an opportunity I said yes to. And now I want to say yes to more.

Later that same day, the pet-sitting family returned home. Watching the reunion unfold - tails wagging, animals whimpering, humans laughing - was beautiful. I’d only been with those pets a short while, but it was enough to feel the weight of what home means to them. It made me wonder what “home” means to me lately. Still figuring that out.

Since then, I’ve spent more nights sleeping in my car. My body has mostly adjusted to the early mornings by now, though I’ll admit I still love the luxury of rolling over and going back to sleep when I get the chance. There's something grounding about waking up with the sun - even if it means brushing your teeth in a car park.

I’ve wandered along white cliffs I didn’t know existed (apparently Dover doesn’t have the monopoly on those), traded photography for accommodation near Bournemouth, and capped off the week at a family wedding. Seeing so many relatives in one place is rare for me, and I didn’t realise how much I needed that connection until I was standing in the middle of it.

This week held so many contrasts: altitude and stillness, strangers and family, solitude and celebration. Every experience reminded me that the road isn’t always about forward motion - it’s about showing up, however you can.

Whether I’m drifting above the earth or wedged in the back of my car, I’m learning to keep choosing the version of life that feels most mine.

Cliffs, castles, clouds, and colours