Why did you decide to start this expat adventure? What inspired you?
In all honesty, it was mostly that the process would be an adventure and let me do something that I knew would be challenging but would allow me to grow both professionally and personally.
If your career were a movie, what would the title be?
I see my career and life as quite synonymous, so I would title the movie "The Trials and Tribulations of Adventure and Chaos".
Describe your new city in just three words
Busy, exciting, and unpredictable, similar to how I perceive my life.
What do you do to make this place feel like home? Share your local secrets:
- Your ultimate comfort food around here? All Italian food is good. As typical as it sounds, I just really enjoy pizza.
- The hangout spot you keep coming back to? If its for a relaxing coffee and breakfast, I would say ‘Casino del Lago’ in Villa Borghese. If its for a cocktail and some music ‘Ex Galleria’ or ‘Libreria Caffe Bohemien’ – there are still many places I haven’t been. Your go-to social scene for meeting new people? Mostly just at the CrossFit gym, its social and welcoming.
- Your new (or newly inspired) favorite hobby? Walking with no end goal in mind, in Cape Town and most African countries that I have lived in or traveled to, walking freely as a woman and alone is not always possible due to personal safety, irrelevant of the time of day. Its very liberating to have the freedom to go where you like, alone and with no time restrictions.
What’s the unique “secret ingredient” you’re bringing to this new role?
Open mindedness and approachability. I have grown up in Africa and worked in projects in Africa, I bring the experience from being exposed to situations where people live and work with the bare minimum but will still give what they have to those they are around, I would like to apply this in my approach to life.
What are you hoping to discover on this adventure
Resilience, friendships and new sense of self. I hoping to grow into a new version of myself, while still reflecting on the characteristics and the people that got me where I am today.