I left school at sixteen, and was planning to sign up to train as a Nursery Nurse, but I heard you needed to be able to sew, so I came home telling my parents I had enrolled on a business studies course instead!

After completing the two years of training, I had my son Chris, who is now grown up and lives in Malaysia working as a dive instructor. The years of Chris’ childhood we spent having adventures and were mostly full of love and laughter, and many antics with our beautiful Labradors Daisy and Poppy. During this time, I refocused, returned to the path I had veered from, and completed the Nursery Nurse course, then continued on to train as a teacher.

 

My 30’s were full of homework, mine and Chris’, teaching, planning, prepping repeat, repeat! I loved teaching and it became a huge part of my life.

 

When I reached the grand age of 40, I took two months to go to Borneo, Malaysia and volunteer to work with orangutans at Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre. I absolutely adore these cheeky, beautiful apes! I was lucky enough to meet an orangutan named Sogo Sogo who I had adopted and had been sent photos of over a few years period. I cannot express how much this meant to me, and what a gentle ape she was. I worked as part of her release team, and the days I would go to the rainforest calling her name to see if she would return from the trees were magical. The days she didn’t were the best because it meant she was ready to live her life in the wild.

 

Little did I know it, but this journey was a huge turning point for me too.

 

After returning from Borneo, within two years I was leaving everything I knew behind, and beginning my teaching adventures overseas. After ten years, exploring and teaching in Hong Kong, Malaysia, New York, Singapore and Amsterdam, I came back to England.

 

Since returning my life has continued to be a rollercoaster of changes and exploration. As well as being an author and illustrator, I now teach yoga to all ages and abilities, I also teach some yoga with goats and alpacas, which is so much fun!

Favourite things I enjoy are long walks no matter what the season, sunrises and sunsets, visiting the coast, and the sound of the waves. Hot cups of tea and slices of cake with family and friends, baking because it relaxes me, yoga to balance me out, paddle boarding when I get the chance and diving with Chris, oh and socks! Stripey, spotty, toe socks and fluffy socks are all so delightfully lovely.