Where it all began
Where it all began
It’s no secret that 2020 had its share of ups and downs, but in a year filled with so much uncertainty, I finally found the time to take a leap and make my dreams come true.
I’d been working with children for the better part of a decade, so when a nannying job came up in Nicosia, Cyprus, I jumped at the chance to move away to a sunny island in the Mediterranean. I thought moving to a new country was what I needed, but after a few months of settling into my beautiful new home, I still had this niggling feeling that something was missing.
While I’d always dreamed of writing children’s books, with busy nannying jobs and constant travelling, I’d never had the time to sit down and make it a reality. But with Covid and lockdown restrictions putting all that on pause, I could finally put my plan into action.
Now I had the time to get writing, I had to figure out what I actually wanted to write about. Over the years, I’d spent a lot of time taking the children I looked after to the beach, and always explained to them the importance of litter picking and how the plastic and rubbish people leave behind can harm the wildlife. With ideas floating around in my head, I suddenly had my “a-ha” moment. The point where I thought, this is my calling. So, on a hot sunny mid-July afternoon, I sat on the balcony of my new flat in Nicosia and I began to write. And just like that, Wendy was born.
I was inspired by everything around me in Cyprus. Over the summer, I made some fantastic friends, including Tommy, Ksenia, Alex, Nicole and many others that came into my life as the weeks went by. On one of my first days in Cyprus, Tommy and Ksenia picked me up in a 4×4, and we drove to a stunning place called Cavo Greco. This place has the ‘wow’ factor! I had never seen water so crystal clear and sparkling in different shades blue. When we got there, Tommy emptied the back of the trunk and reappeared with a handful of flippers and snorkels. “Come on,” he said, ‘’We’re taking you diving!’’
From that day, I was hooked on diving, as it helped me let go of all my worries, be completely free and really think. The friends I made in Cyprus became characters in the first Wendy Wanderlust book, and the beautiful Cavo Greco became the setting. I was so inspired by the incredible natural landscapes that I wanted to get the message out there that they should be protected.
After some solid days of writing – helped along by an 80s playlist and a few bottles of suncream – I had finished my first book. Now, I can’t wait to see where my journey takes me and Wendy next!
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to find out more and see how we can collaborate.
