Healing, Grieving, and Joy || July 2023

Hey there! Welcome to another month in this crazy rollercoaster called life. So, it’s July 2023 and we’ve officially entered the second half of the year. This time I’ve got a lot of interesting things to say, unlike the last couple of months. So buckle up!

After writing this blog, I’ve decided to call this chapter of my life (2023) “Healing, Grieving, and Joy” on my monthly blogs tab. You see, like so many others around the world, COVID-19 did have a toll on us here in New Zealand. For me, it has had its biggest impact when it comes to my mental health.

But hey, we’re in this together, right? So let’s navigate through the ups and downs and find some healing and joy along the way. 

When I reflect on my life before embarking on my travels – and capturing my experiences in this blog – I realize that I carried a significant amount of baggage from my past. It weighed me down, and little did I know that even more challenges awaited me when I made the decision to move to a new country without fully comprehending the impact it would have on me. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the unexpected arrival of Covid-19 added another layer of complexity and uncertainty to this already chaotic melting pot.

I wrote a blog about the year when I felt I hit rock bottom called “A year in the blue”, where I talk about all the things that were going on at the time like Culture Shock, Quarter-life Crisis, etc. I titled it “A year in the blue” hoping it would be the end of that chapter, but as we know, life doesn’t work like that. Pain lingers and healing happens in very interesting ways. At the time is supposed to happen and not necessarily at the time or speed we hope or expect it to happen.

If you’re interested in that, click the link below.

The concept of healing also puts into perspective the idea we have nowadays of putting yourself first and self-care, where it is often associated with a luxurious self-care pack sold at Beauty, Bath & Beyond or a nice treat after a hard day at work. But true healing and self-care is most likely not always pretty.

It takes a lot of pain and determination to do what your body and subconscious have most likely been avoiding for years. A lot of ugly crying, scary scenarios of vulnerability. Accepting and letting go of things and identities you’ve been holding onto for years.

After the borders opened and I returned to Mexico in August 2022, a wave of unfinished business resurfaced within me. During our time abroad, Jono and I received news of Jono’s father falling ill. We made the decision to return to New Zealand earlier than expected to spend time with him. Sadly, in early January of this year, he passed away prematurely, and since then, we have been grieving his loss deeply.

All of this has made 2023 a year filled with grief. We grieve for the loss we have experienced and also for the time that has been lost. I feel the effects that these past couple of years in crisis have had on our mental and physical well-being, and even on our spirit deeply.

As I mentioned in a previous monthly blog update (May 2023), this has been a time to find myself again after all the pain and struggle. I grieve but grieving is also part of healing and in healing there is always joy.

Carla Morrison’s Encontrarme has truly become my anthem that has accompanied me throughout this process. If you happen to be going through a rough time, remember that there is always time to find yourself again. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel and you deserve all the light in the world.

Life reflection aside. I’m happy to announce that I’m starting a new part time fix term job as a Humanities Technician in the Spencer Digby project until the end of September. Before Jono and I embark on this year’s overseas adventures in East Asia – South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong in mid October.