Recently I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about connections! To me they’re one of the most important things on earth and I’m truly blessed with the people in my world who make it go around! I like to think I have a pretty strong Connection with quite a lot of awesome people! 

One of the things I wanted most when I went to Hong Kong was a connection with people- it’s easy to meet drinking buddies or people to run with but I wanted true friends! And boy did I find the best ones! I still count myself as ridiculously lucky that I met two of the most wonderful girls and shared some fantastic experiences with them. I also met countless other true friends who were there when I needed to open up my heart and soul, vent or cry! 

Connections was also one of the things that drew me to November Project (oh look i mentioned it again) and whilst my Love of socials was probably put down to my equal love for prosecco (hmmm appear to have mentioned that again too… note it’s been about 10 days since my last glass if anyone is counting, obviously I’m not) it’s mainly my love for deeper connections with people! It’s no surprise that I was social secretary of my theatre company, social rep for my netball team and evangelism coordinator of my CU at Uni. I’m always the one organising events and it’s because I love to bring people together and I love to be amongst that.

When we swipe right on Tinder or throw ourselves out there into a new hobby I’m sure we’re all looking for that spark- either with a friend or a significant other! And you just can’t tell when or with whom it will happen! I’ve had my fair share of disastrous dates because the spark just wasn’t there and for no rhyme or reason there just wasn’t a connection! One such date resulted in me discussing a garbage truck that had shed a ton of rubbish on the road outside! Now when this chatterbox can’t find anything else to talk about then you know connection is never going to happen! 

When I arrived in Malawi i discovered I was going to be without internet for almost 24 hours. I’m not going to lie I had a minor panic: not just because I’m now addicted to Instagram stories, but because I suddenly felt very disconnected.

Social media has it’s down sides but it also has its massive positives! Since starting Instagram stories I genuinely feel more connected to people- and whilst some will say that the world is less connected as we all stare at our phones and spend less time together, I’m in a position where it’s often physically impossible to be in the same room as the people I love and Instagram, facebook and what’s app really are lifesavers!

As I scroll through social media and realise my FOMO at all the NP posts (yep there I go again) I’m also worried that I’m losing a connection with the world I love. Being away means missing things and missing people and being here I really feel a long long way from things! Sometimes looking at posts on social media tugs at my heart strings and I almost wonder if it hurts more to see what I’m missing or if this connection helps me stay a part of it! I genuinely don’t know the answer to that!

One thing I do l know is that for me weekends and evenings were always about social activities! I was always out and spending time with friends! I loved work but I loved the feel of finishing at the end of the day and getting to spend time with people I loved! Whilst I’ve found plenty of ways to spend my time here I’m definitely missing the true connections I have with my faves (at home or across the world) 

So I’m always searching for connections! And it’s always crazy as to where and when they happen; with people we don’t expect, people at the other side of the world, people from completely different backgrounds. And when I find a connection you’ll be hard pressed to get me to break that bond! When I lived in London I went home for every birthday, christening, wedding, baby shower and hen do that I physically could! It meant an awful lot of time on the M6 but every second on that delight of a motorway was always always worth it! It’s still breaks me every time I have to miss a special occasion because I’m away and even tonight I was trying to figure out if it’s feasible to head back to England for a hen do in September! 

When they happen; Connections are incredible, they make you feel alive! They make the world make a little bit more sense! And whilst I’ve been blessed- those really special connections, the ones we can search a lifetime to find, are the ones really worth holding onto! Because they don’t happen all that often and when they do they’re the most precious gift! 

My friends and my family really are my world and whilst I love searching the world for adventure there’s nothing better than that feeling of connection! So whilst I’ll cherish this experience I’ll be as addicted to social media as ever until I can once again hold those people I love and tell them just how much they mean to me in person!

Thankyou for making my world turn! And if you’ve got a spare second; know that every message and every face time call is making the world of difference out here! I appreciate them all!