JET LAG ALMOST GOT THE BEST OF ME...

It’s been a week since I arrived in Cape Town.  I feel like Jet Lag caught up with me this morning.  I woke at my usual 6am and my mind was too tired to get out of bed.  For a brief moment I questioned the extreme tiredness as depression. I am not usually depressed, in general I wake up happy every day.  And yes, I realize the blessing in that. However this morning, I had to reflect, reconcile and acknowledge my feelings. I am not depressed.  I am jet lagged and putting an intense amount of pressure on myself to feel like I am living my normal life 10,000 miles away from home.
Defining my normal life in Cape Town has been a challenge  even before I arrived. It started with packing back in the U.S.   How does a person consolidate their entire life into one box and two large suitcases.  I realized that clothes and shoes are a lot more important to me than I care to admit. The stress of packing kept me up at night for days before my departure.  I had this worry that I was forgetting something important, something needed.

Once I arrived in Cape Town and unpacked  there was a sense of relief. I had everything I needed actually. Now the stress has shifted to setting up priorities and creating a routine.  I once heard somewhere that stress is worrying about things you can not change. So I decided to be proactive. I took an afternoon to write down my priorities and goals.  This helped relieve a lot of stress. Now I feel like a woman with a plan. I wrote these goals and priorities on a large cardboard paper. Now every day when I sit at my home office I am reminded of what normal feels like for me.

Another struggle I am having reaching normalcy is balancing work and social life.  I have been so focused on trying to be productive and avoid being overly social that it was causing me stress.  My natural self is very social. Back in Los Angeles, I am networking and socializing at least 4 times a week. Trying to avoid that in Cape Town and living like a hermit is counter productive, counter intuitive, counterfeit Tuanni!  

And then there are the little stresses like crossing the streets, (There is no such thing as yielding for pedestrians), managing food products (bread and fruit seem to expire extremely fast, plus cooking for one seems so wasteful), killing spiders ( They are natural part of life here and I have to put all fears aside).

I apologize if it seems like I am complaining.  I really am NOT. Cape Town is beautiful and wonderful.  The past week has exceeded my expectations. I have had some wins!  Like connecting with old friends in the wine industry, meeting a fabulous group of business women from the United States who shared valuable business tips and encouragement and much needed time for proper rest and reflection.

Our fourth episode of edison spirits will be published on Monday 12/17/2018.  Take a listen. I have a conversation with world famous sommelier and my great friend Tinashe Nyamudoka.  I pop a bottle of sparkling Sauvignon Blanc and we have a surprise call from someone back in the states! This fourth episode is bit long but so worth it!

​