Life update, new experiences and Bo-Kaap strolls

It’s been a while since I’ve rambled on here. So, I thought a little life update was in order. Forgive me if you’re not one for hearing about the details of someone else’s life, but I love reading these kinds of posts, so I thought I’d give one a go.

Since we last chatted, I have said goodbye to my heavy textbooks and falling asleep in lectures (sorry mum) and said hello to real responsibilities, morning coffee runs, and a shiny new office desk. Yep, I got myself an internship! For three months at least.

So far, my internship has been both exhilarating and extremely daunting. My first week made me feel like I had learnt nothing from my past four years of studying. I’m sure most people experience that “I know nothing” feeling when starting their first job.

It’s still very much a work in progress and I probably know nothing in comparison to where I want to be, but I’m trying to see things differently and take another approach. One of my favorite quotes by witty old Dr. Seuss is,  “It is better to know how to learn than to know.” So, instead of putting myself down about my lack of expertise, I have been trying to prove myself by showing my eagerness and ability to learn. Whenever I can, I try my best to get involved, volunteer and make an effort to engage with new people. Of course, this has not been very easy as most people in the corporate world are very busy and don’t always have the time to chat to the new wide-eyed intern. I soon realized that this was not the type of opportunity where information and lessons get fed to you on a silver platter. I’ve had to push myself outside of my comfort zone and try my best to get out there and find opportunities to chat to people and make new connections.

I’ve still got a lot to learn, but slowly I am grasping the office dynamics and figuring out what I am supposed to be doing. Luckily I have met some wonderful new people who don’t mind showing me the ropes. I’ll definitely keep you posted!

I have also found work different to university in the sense that you are able to create a work/life balance (if you allow yourself to).  The stress that you get at work is different to stress from uni. I’m so glad that I no longer have the constant worry of three essays hanging over my head. In other words, now my work stays at work and my private life stays at home in the evenings or on weekends. Sure, the nine to five thing is something to get used to, but I’ve found that this has made me appreciate my time off a lot more than what I did whilst I was studying. When I was studying, my weekends were often consumed with 80% of sleep, procrastination, and feelings of guilt, and 20% of actual work. Now, however, I try to make use of every minute of my weekend, whether that be going out to explore, tackling my pile of self-help books or making an effort to spend time with those most important to me.

Cape Town is the most amazing city, and those living here often take it for granted. So, I made a decision to also use my weekends as an opportunity to embrace new experiences and meet new people. This has already done so much for my mind and soul. I think it’s important to constantly push yourself out of your bubble to grow as a person and to figure out the kind of life that you want to live. Creativity is also often found in new experiences. Going to that second-hand market you’ve always been interested in, but never got round to visiting could be the source of profound inspiration or maybe just a little reminder to appreciate the small things in life. Everything has a purpose in life, but you have to put yourself out there to allow it.

With that being said, a few days ago, my friend Chelsea and I set off to Bo-Kaap in Cape Town to meet a few photography enthusiasts. We were in awe of the beautiful light and the vibrant colours of the houses in the area. Bo-Kaap is a major tourist attraction in Cape Town, yet it was somewhere that I had never taken the time to explore! Here are a few pictures from the shoot. Thank you to Chelsea for these! I’m excited to share a few more pictures from the shoot depicting each photographer’s unique style.

 

Shop the look: 

Hat – Zara

Jacket – H&M (similar one here)

Jumpsuit – New Look (similar one here)

Sneakers – Forever New (similar one here)

Cheerio for now!

xxx

Jenna