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Hello Again, and Thank You

28/03/19 ᛫ 10 Comments

There are two simple things I want to say in this blog post; Hello and thank you. Hello you wonderful readers and followers of my blog, who I basically deserted back in October. Hello to all the brands and PRs who still may not have a clue where I’d gone. Hello to the new followers and amazing people who I have met both online and offline since my world turned upside down. I want to say thank you to all of you. Thank you for being so patient and supportive. Thank you for all your kind comments, thoughtful gestures and ‘inspirational memes’ to get me through. Most of all, thank you for coming back to my blog now that I’ve cleared off the cobwebs!

So much has happened since our baby boy Theo was born premature on 30th October 2018, an extraordinary 15 weeks before his due date. It’s so hard to know where to begin. In those early weeks we had to take things an hour at a time, then a day at a time. It was all consuming, emotionally exhausting and my toughest challenge yet. At the time, there was no capacity left in my brain to share any content about what was going on. We were told the first weeks would be ‘touch and go’ and we knew that bringing Theo home was far from guaranteed. It was too raw, too traumatic to even figure out how to put in to words for the online world. So I basically disappeared from the internet. It was my coping mechanism. It was what I needed to do to survive.

Because of this, a very significant part of my life is now missing from the internet. It’s a complex journey that has so many different chapters and layers that its hard to know where to begin. I am planning a series of blog posts which will reflect in more detail about everything we’ve been through, including my birth story and what it’s like to have a baby in neonatal intensive care. I appreciate this type of content is far from travel-related, but just give me time. They are personal to me and my blog will always evolve with me. But for now, I am just here to say hello and thank you, which makes this post much less scary to do.

Although I haven’t been blogging, I have been sharing different aspects of our journey on Instagram in a ‘microblogging’ format. I’ve covered things such as introducing Theo, my breastfeeding journey, my mental health, Theo’s development as a premature baby and future plans for The Travelista. Writing these posts have felt like a good way to reflect and record everything that has happened, and have been a way to dip my toe back into regular online posts.

The photos in this blog post are the ‘after’ ones. We just look like a typical new family, out and about. I guess you’d have no idea what the 3 of us had been through in order to get to that moment the photo was taken. That’s the funny thing about life isn’t it? You have no idea what journeys people have been on to get to where they are now. We have the ‘before’ photos. Plenty of them. When put together they tell the most incredible visual story of Theo’s journey, but right now, it’s not something I am ready to share.

So once again, hello and thank you. I’m still here. I’m still Jess. I’m still a woman with my own identity. I still have a voice. I’m still The Travelista, but I am also now a Mum who is embarking on the entirely new adventure that is Motherhood. So far there have been enough twists and turns to last me a life time, but I’ve got a feeling there will be plenty more in store. I hope you all come along for the bumpy ride.

Follow me on Instagram @thetravelista for more microblogging

Jess x

10 Comments

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Comments

  1. thetravelsofmrsb says

    4th April 2019 at 7:38 pm

    What a journey you have all been on Jess!!! It always puts a smile on my face when I see the beautiful pictures of baby Theo and the big steps and milestones you are all making xxx

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      8th April 2019 at 3:08 pm

      Thanks Laura. So pleased you like to see the photos of Theo. My life has changed so much in the past 6 months I am just trying to figure out how the blog will fit into out new life with Theo, but I am confident it will evolve with us. x

      Reply
  2. Lizi says

    29th March 2019 at 9:30 am

    Welcome back Jess! Your journey has been an inspiration and I can’t to see where it takes you next as a family of three. Theo is just gorgeous xx

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      8th April 2019 at 3:09 pm

      Thanks so much Lizi. It’s been an incredibly tough journey but we’ve come out stronger as a team of 3. xx

      Reply
  3. Angie Silver (@SilverSpoonLDN) says

    28th March 2019 at 7:55 pm

    Welcome back! Enjoy your time with your lovely family!! xxx

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      8th April 2019 at 3:09 pm

      Thanks so much Angie. We are just trying to enjoy this special time. x

      Reply
  4. Karen Hutzcal says

    28th March 2019 at 4:33 pm

    Welcome back to your blog! Write at your pace and when you feel the time is right. I’ll be here reading and enjoying any word from you! You’ve been through alot and your experience will no doubt help others. So exciting to take Theo in his pram and enjoy the spring weather!

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      8th April 2019 at 3:10 pm

      Thanks for your patience and understanding words Karen 🙂 You’re right, from now on I am going to blog at my own pace and just post whatever feels natural. It may not necessarily be travel-related for now but it will reflect the stage of my life I am going through. We can’t wait to get out and about with Theo this spring. x

      Reply
  5. twinsthattravel says

    28th March 2019 at 10:08 am

    Welcome back, Jess. What a journey it’s been and what an amazing journey you’ve got to come. Still so thrilled for you and your little family. C & L xx

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      8th April 2019 at 3:12 pm

      Thanks ladies. It has been one hell of a journey but it feels really good to get back to doing a few ‘normal’ things like sitting at my laptop and blogging. xx

      Reply

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Jess is an an award-winning travel blogger based in Yorkshire, navigating the world as a new Mum to baby Theo. Blogging about adventures both local and global.

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Hey guys 👋🏼 This is my little self-developme Hey guys 👋🏼 This is my little self-development project. On 1st January I set some new intentions (not resolutions). The main one was to try and start waking up 1 hour earlier (I am not a morning person). But I wanted to make a change to start each day slowly and mindfully; to wake up and put my own needs first. Usually I would roll out of bed and be straight into Mum mode. Now I sit in silence with a hot cup of tea. Honestly, it has transformed my mornings and I can’t believe I’ve not done it sooner. Here are a few things I’ve been doing in my new daily hour of mental self care; 

⭐️1. The 5 Minute Journal - This book has been the greatest gift I have received in a long time. It has helped me to find gratitude in the smallest things, even when the world feels like its falling apart. I start my hour by filling out this journal. @fiveminutejournal 

⭐️2. Affirmations - I bought these beautiful affirmation cards from @lovaine_store on Etsy. Each morning I pick out a new affirmation and write it in my journal. Then I pluck another from my head. They're definitely teaching me to be kinder to myself and make me feel mentally stronger.

⭐️3. Mindfulness - After my journal I practice a guided meditation using the @calm app. 13 days in, I feel a lot more clarity. Tomorrow I’m also starting an 8 week mindfulness cognitive behavioural therapy course with @natalieenglander. I am a novice and I am excited to learn more.

Whilst we all feel like we have very little control over our lives right now, the one thing we CAN still control is our mindset. If you’re feeling frazzled and overwhelmed by the world right now, I really can’t recommend trying things enough ✨ 

What are you doing to look after your mental well-being right now? It’s brutal at the moment. Take care guys 💓
When your knee surgery gets cancelled AGAIN. If I When your knee surgery gets cancelled AGAIN. If I don’t laugh I’ll cry 😅 Another month on crutches for me. At least I got to see my boy experience snow for the first time today instead. Will keep being grateful for the small things ✨
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This means despite already isolating for 14 days, we need to continue isolating over Christmas in the hope that I can get the surgery on 29th December instead. So like all of you in tier 4, we will also be having a merry ‘little’ Christmas as a family of 3. We’ve spent Christmas before in hospital with Theo in an incubator, so to have him home and healthy is still a big step up from that. 

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Merry Christmas guys. What a year. We can only try to make the very best of the cards we’ve been dealt. Stay safe and keep it little. See you all soon ✨🎄✨
⚡️FESTIVE NEWS FLASH ⚡️ 🌟You don’t n ⚡️FESTIVE NEWS FLASH ⚡️

🌟You don’t need matching family pyjamas to have a good Christmas.

🌟You don’t need to make a Christmas Eve Box to be a great parent.

⭐You don’t need expensive Christmas days out to make it magical.

🌟You don’t need to watch Christmas films in a tidy, ambient room.

🌟You don’t need a perfect, colour coordinated Christmas tree.

🌟You don’t need to overindulge if you don’t want to.

🌟You don’t need a sprawling mass of presents under the tree.

🌟You don’t need to cook everything featured on the Jamie Oliver Christmas special.

🌟Hell, you don’t even need to change out of that trusty loungewear set you’ve been wearing all year.

💓 Embrace the chaos and all the things that make your Christmas unique. Stop letting social media trick you into thinking you don’t have it all. Honey, you do 💓

Merry Christmas and thank you for following us this year, love from me and Theo 🎄✨

(Inspired by Bd Blogs)
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Hey guys! I’m excited to share some big news. I’ve got a job! It’s an amazing communications role at a national UK charity 🥳

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Now, tell me one positive thing that has happened to you in 2020? ✨

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