Over fifty doesn’t mean over the hill!

I turned fifty about three years ago, battling menopause and struggling with mental health. Now that menopause has just about fizzled out, I’m beginning to feel more like my old self. A new 2.0 version with the added feature of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Which means just as I’m wanting to go out and enjoy myself, hiking and traveling and getting fit, the joints have chosen to kick up a fuss. I had the idea to travel again about ten years ago after my old job became too much. Life and curve balls came at me like a blizzard, though, and since then I’ve retreated into my Cancerian shell and focused on writing and building a new career as a writer.

I put on loads of weight. And my mental health suffered as a result of my new sedentary lifestyle and the lack of motivation (and fear) to exercise because it damned well hurt! Depression. Anxiety. Comfort eating. Conspirators working against my positive side, and winning hands down.

I kept telling myself it was temporary. And it was. But it’s taken a while to get here. Demons aside, I feel as though I can face the world again, in baby steps.

Now I’m in on track. The spare tire is flatter. My face is thinner. I’ve gone down a dress size…nearly two. Not easy. But doable.

Feeling more confident, I’m grabbing life by the balls, and intend spending the next fifty years (give or take) making up for lost time. Hiking. Screenwriting. Photography. Traveling. Blogging. Might even buy a mini drone and practise aerial photography. Some things I’ve done before, some are brand new, but I want to go global with them, vlogging as I go! Why not, eh? We get one life. And I don’t want to end mine regretting not taking chances.

Onwards and upwards, as they say. Jools xx

P.S That is NOT me in the photo, and not my photo.

image shot at Ara Ha