Letter to Chrisel

Dear Chrisel

It's been so wonderful to get to know you during the past 4 months. Meeting you through Meet Up was such a gift. It's amazing that in such a short time you've become one of my very closest and most cherished friends...

Or maybe not when I consider all your beautiful qualities...

Here are just some of the many things that I have come to love about you ...

• The fact you're so directed by your purpose and values and desire to follow your heart.   
• Your courage in giving up work and following your dreams. So inspiring!   
• The way you got rid of all your old furniture and "stuff", opening space in your life.   
• Your love of travel and exploring new places and experiences.   
• Your love of Africa's nature and wildlife, especially giraffes.   
• Your love of the outdoors, nature and hiking.   
• Your love of doing adventurous and different things.   
• Your deep love for music.   
• Your  passion for your penny whistle and all the beautiful tunes you can play, even in the traffic!   
• Your love of movies, including animated ones.   
• Your love of good food and red wine.   
• Your love for good chocolate in all it's wonderful forms - and for taking me on a chocolate tour. 
• Your deep love for South Africa - it's spirit, , personality, beauty, places, people.  I can so deeply relate!   
• Your deep love for your family.   
• Your wonder for the universe and its stars and planets.   
• Your passion for jeeps!   
• Loving so many of the same things I do. Even little things like Nesquick, instant pudding and Grandadillal lollies!   
• The fact you love skinny dipping.    
• How passionate and inspired you get about many things and the way your eyes light up when you talk about them. So inspiring!   
• The way your sunshine shines through, even when you're full of sinus and cold.   
• Your deep appreciation for life despite the suffering you and your loved ones have been through.   
• Your amazing yoga poses and very own, unique routine.   
• The fact you can be chatty and animated and buzzing - and also quiet and calm and reflective.   
• Your sense of humour and the ease with which you laugh.   
• What a wonderful friend you are to your friends, be it looking after their challenging doggies or making them amazing cakes on their birthdays.   
• The fact you want to make a difference to people in the world.   
• The way you look after yourself with yoga and veggie juice, even if it makes your hands a bit orange! The wonderful, endearing way you tell jokes, especially when you put on  funny voices!   
• Your close relationship with your mum.   
• The fact you need time and space to regroup (e.g. before work on Monday.)  I can really relate to that. The fact you get anxious sometimes, like when you need to perform.  I can so relate to that too.   
• The way you've accepted your condition and wanting to inspire others in similar circumstances. 
• Your courage in getting IVF treatment and doing all you can to make your dreams happen.  You'd make such an amazing mum.   
• The fact you're sensitive and wary of rejection. I can so relate to that.   
• The fact you've been deeply in touch with your shadow, and come out so strongly into the light. 
• The fact you're not totally sure where you belong, feeling like you have your feet in two countries.   
• The fact you're so in touch with your feelings and that you feel so deeply.   
• The way you can see all sides of things and are so open minded.   
• Your inbuilt navigation skills,  I'm envious!   
• Your skills as a leaping photographer.   
• The fact you've written music for special people in your life.   
• All the amazing things you've gotten me into: tea, broccolini, Lúnasa, the Lindt chocolate cafee. The Comedy Store, smoothies, stretching, Trevor Noah, Sting.   
• How you make people feel so comfortable, able to be completely themselves.   
• Your quirky side   
• The fact you feel different from "the herd."    
• The fact you're secure enough to drive a bit of a beaten up car (like mine!)   
• Being able to have deep discussions about the meaning of life one moment, and being able to laugh about something lighthearted the next.   
• Your kindness.   
• Your great sense of fun.   
• Your amazing openness and willingness to share  deep things about yourself.   
• Your down to earthness.   
• Your beautiful smile and stunning, green eyes.   
• The fact you are so comfortable to be yourself.   
• Your kind, warm, positive energy.   

All in all, you're pure sunshine.  Thank you for being the kind, loving, wonderful, inspiring soul you are.  Thank you for being You; exactly You.

I'm also so grateful for the wonderful experiences we've shared over the past 4 months.  Here are just some of the highlights for me ...

• The Comedy Store - what a great place!   
• Picnicing in the sunshine at Berry Island with Mack.   
• Your delicious babootie.   
• Walking backwards with you at the park and on the beach.   
• Bringing you soup when you were sick.   
• Feeling so comfortable with you felt I could share my Afrikaans story.   
• Being inspired together by David Doubilet's photographs at the Sydney Opera House.   
• Introducing me to The Lindt chocolate cafee and their orgasmic iced chocolate.   
• Walking in the Sydney Botanical Garden at sunset with our cameras.   
• Introducing me to The Central Coast's secret places and that bracing swim at Maitland Bay.   
• Finding your ear rings on the beach - they obviously wanted to be found!   
• Introducing me to yoga - what a great instructor you are!   
• So many wonderful meals and decadent desserts shared.   
• Chilling on the couches at the pub in North Sydney.   
• Watching some great movies like How I Tamed Your Dragon 2, Lucy, Magic in the Moonlight, The Notebook, The Prestige.   
•  Enjoying the flowers at Muogamarra Nature Reserve and looking down onto the river from the trig beacon   
• Gorging ourselves with chocolate on the Sydney chocolate tour - one of the best and most memorable presents I've ever received.   
• Meeting Angel, your wonderful Spanish friend.   

Needless to say, I'll miss you like crazy while you're away and you'll be very much in my thoughts.  I wish you a year full of adventure, new experiences and friendships, self discovery, wonder and beauty, fun and laughter and lots of love and deep connection with your family.  I can't wait to follow your journey!

Lots of love and hugs,

G