Unfinished Goals Can Lead to Finished Dreams

At the age of fifteen, I left school for the first time.

I went back.

At the age of sixteen, I left school again.

And went back.

At the age of seventeen, I graduated.

I decided I wanted to go to University — my friends were going, and I didn’t want to be left out. I enrolled and dropped out.

I became a nanny and loved every second of it. The kids were crazy and naughty and delightful and playful and joyous and wonderful. I decided to take these skills and become a teacher.

I dropped out after one year. I spent a couple of months in Greece instead.

I spent most of my youth trying to follow in the family's footsteps and become an academic like them. If they could do it, I could do it.

But that wasn’t exactly true.

I come from a long line of scientists. My Dad has engineers and medical professionals on his side; he works in chemistry and education. My mum also has medical professionals and scientists on her side; she is a physicist who works in education.

I also have a brother who works in the world of data, graduating with multiple degrees and a Masters.

Watching my family achieve so much and hearing stories about the academic world, “You just have to do it.” It was about willpower, learning to push through, and putting everything else aside to achieve the goal you are focused on.

You can do it.

Anyone can do it.

Some people take a little longer, and some people need a little extra help, but everyone can.

It was during my 2nd bout of depression, which was triggered by my 2nd attempt to become an academic, that I called it quits on higher education. Admitting that I might not fit in with my academic family had really bummed me out. It wasn’t so much the academics — I knew that wasn’t for me. I knew I couldn’t do it, but I honestly had no interest in being an academic.

But I wanted to fit in with my family.

And they like to finish what they start.

They finished high school with top grades; they went into Engineering, Science and Medicine. They went on to do a Master’s and then went on to study for a 2nd and a 3rd Degree. They did it.

Having family who work in Education made it all the more embarrassing. I was quickly disproving their theory that “anyone could do it, education is for everyone.”

My mum tried so hard and had so much belief that we just had to try the right method. Dyslexia was theorised, and so was ADHD. I worked with pictures, I listened to lectures, and Mum got me involved in everything she did. I loved her experiments. The joy of something exploding or changing colour; it was fun.

I just didn’t care about the how or the why.

I started writing. I’d begin one novel and then another and another. I began writing screenplays and TV shows.

I started acting.

I started a lot of things.

I started cooking.

I found joy in caring for people and caring for a home.

I declared to my feminist, forward-thinking, academic parents that all I wanted in life was to be a housewife.

I began painting and drawing.

I started gardening.

I began surfing.

I started travelling.

To this day, I still don’t have a niche.

I love to start things and maybe that’s my thing.

On my journey to discover where I fit, I found out that it was never about that. I always fit. No matter what I did, I always fit in with my family. I just like to start things.

And try new things.

I see what works and what doesn't.

I am there as a guiding light for all those who haven’t tried 101 things.

Want to know what it’s like to live in a caravan? On a boat? Start a business? Write a story? Make jewellery? Bake bread? Surf a gnarly wave? Harvest grapes? Clean a wine barrel?

I’ve got your back.

And I’ve lived my dream 100 times over.