Best Travel Inspired Mommy Blog – That’s Us!

On Friday night, as I was gathered around the table with some of my favourite people enjoying a delicious supper, there were big things happening on Twitter.  The winners of the SA Mommy Blogger Awards were being announced.

I mean I knew it was happening – there was a lot of hype about it on social media leading up to the announcements of  the SA Mommy Blogger Awards.  In fact, I’d probably have had to smash my phone on the floor, throw my laptop out the window and not talk to any of my friends to NOT know it was happening.  But honestly I didn’t think I would make it anywhere on the list.  Not because I’m that annoying weirdo that pretends to be modest but knows they have it in the bag.  It’s because I really thought I didn’t stand a chance.

You all know…  Well, those of you who regularly read my ramblings, would know that I’ve been in a bit of a rut recently.  I really thought this phase of my life was coming to an end.  Or not an end, but desperately needing a change of scenery because let’s be real, I don’t think I could ever stop oversharing on this little space.  No, no, no sir.  But it does mean that I haven’t really been blogging much and that always has a knock on effect on, well, everything.  Not that it’s about numbers but that is partially what they base these awards on.  So it’s a legit reason to think I wouldn’t make it.

But an even bigger reason is that there are SO many amazing mommy blogs out there on the interwebs today.  I’m so last year.  No really.  Every time I open the internet machine and go onto the Facebook, I see a new blog that I’ve never seen before.  It’s fantastic to see the diversity of each new blog that I find.  There are so many amazing women boldly sharing their stories of triumph and failure and the other moments in between.  I love that the circle is getting bigger – it’s about time.

This is really turning into a long story, but I was genuinely shocked to see that I had made it onto the list.  We were named as the Best Travel Mommy Blog in South Africa.  You can even go to that link to see – it’s totes legit.

Winning this category is really exciting.  We have gone on lots of adventure and planning a big one soon – a trip in our campervan which is going to be a whole travel experience all on its own.  Then who can forget eating our weight in pizza and gelato as we back packed across Italy.  And even just exploring new towns for s weekend getaway and chatting to you guys on social about what to do while we’re there.

But it’s exciting for SO MUCH MORE than being recognised for the hard work we put into those stories.

It’s really exciting for me, because it’s meant that you have stuck with me.  As we have taken the journey of life.  As our kids have started growing up from the pooping, vomiting crying machines that I regularly used to talk about.  I don’t really talk about morning sickness or fussy eaters anymore.  Or all the other other things that go with parenting tiny people like a serious debilitating lack of sleep.  So I just wanted to say thank you for hanging around with me even though I no longer have to double check brown smear marks on my top (I know it’s chocolate without a doubt because I eat it hiding in the cupboard).

So really, THANK YOU for still checking in on our blog or social media as we move into this new unknown territory of the older years.  Which, as it turns out, are more about managing homework.  Getting grommets and fielding questions that make my brain ache.  And wonderfully also about being able to travel  with our family into places we’ve never been to before.

I should probably also tell you that I’d still blog if I knew there was no one out there reading.  But I’m so glad that you are there.  That we can connect and learn from each other, or even just be that shoulder to cry on or the person to say you are not alone.  All your comments, likes, hearts or whatever really do mean a lot to me, probably a stupid amount more than it should.  But I appreciate you.

And before I keep on and on here, I can hear the music that’s playing in the background.  Like at the Oscars.  They’re about to send up their beautiful stage hands to pull me off the stage.  So one last parting word to all of you…

Thank you.

(OK, that’s two words, but you know, YOLO and all that – who needs to stick to the rules)