Personal Journey and Adventures of Nina

My departure from London was more than just saying goodbye to a friend. It was about abandoning the romantic notion that I'd finally met the man who had inflamed my heart. Leaving behind the idea that I could be in love and be loved in return and, surrendering the belief that finally, good things were going to happen for me. Assimilating back into my routine, feeling a little dejected but content to be moving on, I was surprised when after only a few days, he messaged me. "How are things back in Sydney?" Within a week he is signing off with xx and how he is looking forward to catching up again. His tone is chatty and playful. Full of compliments. He is attentive and thoughtful, remembering to ask about things he knew I had coming up. Boosting me up, "You're inspirational". "I think you undersell yourself! I sense that you're much more capable than most of us." We are both at very pertinent junctures in our lives. My ex has finally agreed to a f

It is March now and we are messaging every few days. Subjects range from making our London plans to Epictetus and the futility of trying to control outcomes. We discuss having faith that the universe is benevolent and that if we relax, good things will happen. I have stopped cursing it by now. Several times he mentioned recreating our evening of in-depth conversation and too much Drambuie. Our plans now include history walks, the symphony, dinner and theatre. My excitement is beginning to accelerate. I visualise our reunion. A wine bar and an evening stroll. Re-creating that kiss and then there was that deep longing for more. I constantly have to restore myself from reverie. Remembering his soft hands and gentle touch. His...Enough! I need to pack. I brought the warm weather and sunshine with me to London fuelling my excitement and impatience to realise my romantic fate. He messaged me right away and we made our plans. He checked on me the next day and the next. Finally, the day had ar

He kept on in my thoughts. I wished him well on notable occasions, Christmas and New Year. He shared photos from Amsterdam and reported on his visit to the Klimt/Schiele exhibition that he saw before Christmas. I sent him the articles I'd written about my Cambodian trip. We each share about our respective visits to the theatre, and he expressed his excitement and anxiety about moving into a new apartment, his Brave New World. By February, I was still unable to get him out of my mind. I tried dating as a distraction. eHarmony, speed dating, Bumble, even Tinder! No sparks, not even a fizzle. I went out with one guy that seemed OK, but he wasn't happy when I commented how he seemed to be dating quite soon after his wife had died. It wasn't a judgement: I was interested. Needless to say, I didn't hear from him again. Self-sabotage? Maybe. I tried to absorb myself in my work and daily life. I took up teaching the Photography Diploma at TAFE in addition to running my corporat

We met through friends and the attraction was instant. A tingling sensation aroused from its sleeping hibernation. A burgeoning sexual energy combined with a sense of knowing that together we would be compatible in every sense. He would quieten my uneasiness and I would feel safe. I would be the spark to his humdrum, the wisdom to his healing. He was recently separated, and I was a few years down the track after my own split and divorce. A horrific affair that ended up with lawyers and court hearings for over 5 years. It was an abusive marriage that lasted over twenty years and I was happy to be out of it. I had become a person that I no longer liked. Through it, my self-esteem around relationships had taken a battering. I had been on a few dates and quite frankly, was exhausted by the entire process. So you can imagine the exhilaration when this lovely man reciprocated my attention. He was safe too because he was an old classmate of my girlfriend's husband. I didn't have to do

The daily reminders of a crumbled love affair and the heartache surrounding my now disconnected family compelled me to make a bold decision. With audacious courage, I quit my teaching job, packed away my photography business, put all of my personal belongings into storage, hired an agent, rented out my apartment, and bought a plane ticket to London. How did I find myself in this complete and utterly dejected situation? That is an entire story unto itself. I’ll brave that one soon, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, I'm heading to London without a definite plan. I’m just going to see what comes up and where the universe takes me. I'll go back to my roots, the place I was conceived and where I have much history. Maybe I’ll start there. Let’s find out. Find out how I got to this point  here . THE AUTHOR That's me. Initially, I thought to describe myself by my profession, I'm a Professional Photographer. Yet, I am much more than my work. I am an insightful, intelligent, adventur