16 Jan A fresh start…
Long time, no newsletter, no post, no anything related to Sweet Smiling Soul…
It’s been a while.
Almost a year, actually.
Back in March of 2023, from one day to the next, I decided to shut shop.
It was an impulsive decision but a good one, and now, looking back, it was a necessary one.
I wanted to give you an update on what’s been going on as I’m finally feeling inspired again and ready to recommit to my path and purpose…
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2023 was a whirlwind.
It was emotional, exciting, chaotic, stressful, and wonderful, all at the same time.
It even started with a bang!
Here’s a brief overview of what was going on behind the scenes…
💍 Lorenz and I got engaged.
✈️ We travelled a lot. I personally landed on five different continents. Countries included: Egypt, England, Australia, Portugal, USA, Germany, Czech Republic, Taiwan, and then back to Aus. A few trips were unexpected/unplanned for the year so a lot of the time, I didn’t really feel grounded and my routine was out of whack. But in saying that, I really enjoyed the travel.
🪡 I made my wedding dress which was the biggest and best sewing project of my life! I’ll share some pics along with the process, soon 😁
👩🏼💻 I completed my studies in Front End Web Development.
☀️ We hosted friends and family in Vienna throughout the summer.
💒 We planned and celebrated not one but TWO weddings. One in Austria in September and the second in Australia, just before Christmas.
🚚 We packed up our apartment in Vienna, sold everything, and tried to squeeze as much of our lives as we could inside four suitcases.
🇦🇹🇦🇺 And then we moved countries 🤪
You can scroll through a few pictures below 😊↓
So in hindsight, I’m so glad I put pause on my business 😅
For one, I knew I needed a break as it was taking a toll on my mental health.
And two, it was just too big of a year to find time to focus with a clear head.
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t daydream about the future of it all.
I really worked hard on myself. I still am. And weekly therapy has been a game changer for me.
Although we had so many wonderful and exciting things happen throughout the year, I felt quite stressed and not my usual, creative self.
I needed to prioritise and do my best to take care of me… and practise what I preach around here 😉
Overall, I really enjoyed the humanness and 3D aspects of 2023.
It was mostly a year away from my phone – zero social media for a solid 10 months (highly recommend trying it by the way).
Right now, I’m in Australia and Lorenz and I are here to stay which is really exciting.
After living overseas for 7 years, it’s now time for us to be in Australia and it feels so good!
We’re not quite settled yet though. We’re setting off for our honeymoon to Thailand in Feb.
Then, we’ll figure out our next steps such as where to live in Australia 😅
So all that is to be continued…
For now, I really just wanted to touch base with you, give you an update, and see how you are.
How was 2023 for you? If it was a bit of a rollercoaster, I feel you and I’m here for you if you need to chat.
I hope 2024 is everything you want it to be, and if it’s not, I hope that you gain so much wisdom and strength to keep going, and that you’re still able to find inspiration and feel gratitude if/when things get tough.
Here’s to going easy on ourselves, being flexible, doing our best to go with the flow, practising unconditional self-love and acceptance, and trusting the unfolding (even though it feels hard sometimes).
You are strong and you are loved.
Take care,
Lauren