Alright, so here it is, my first blog post. To be honest, I don’t even know where to start. And I’m not sure if anyone even reads blogs anymore. Feels like such an early 2000s thing, right? But for some reason, here I am in 2025, typing away because I’ve got this urge to share.

This year has been… well, a ride. A bit of a wild one. I’ve noticed a pattern in my life: whenever things get tough or unpredictable, that’s when the big shifts happen. Change, reflection, new ideas it all seems to come out of the hard stuff. Maybe you’ve felt the same, when life forces you to pause and rethink what really matters.

When I’m not out with my camera, my day-to-day job is in mental health and community services. Helping people find support, speaking up for them, advocating for them. It’s always been more personal to me than professional. But recently, leadership changed where I work, and I realised we just didn’t share the same values anymore. That was tough, because I’d been in that role for more than five years, leading a team and genuinely loving the work. But when your values clash, you can’t ignore it. I’ve always hoped to make a difference for underrepresented communities, but stepping back made me ask myself: what really drives me? What do I actually want to stand for?

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One thing I keep relearning is this: what’s meant for me won’t miss me. Life doesn’t wait. Even when things feel messy, I try to trust that something good is sitting just beyond the struggle. Of course, when you’re in the middle of it, it’s hard to believe. It’s like that saying — you can’t see the label of the jar when you’re inside it.

A few things helped me through. Kim, my wife, was incredible. She didn’t just listen, she helped me process it all. Routines helped too: exercise, cold showers, meditation, even if I didn’t stick with it as much as I wanted. But more than anything, I had to remind myself to stay present. To actually be in the moment instead of running from it. And that’s what led me here, writing this blog post. I finally pulled the pin and deleted all my social media accounts.

If the only currency we really have is time, then social media is the biggest thief of all. Doom scrolling, endless algorithms… I always thought I had decent self-control, but when life felt uncertain, I’d catch myself scrolling way more than I wanted to admit. Instagram made sense for a while it let me share my photography and keep in touch with family on the other side of the world but lately it just felt like noise. With algorithms and AI deciding what people even see, I started asking myself: what’s the point? So I deleted it all. Now, writing here feels slower, calmer, more real.

And about that good thing that comes after the struggle. Quitting meant I was home for six weeks straight, and in that time I got to rebuild and strengthen my relationship with my little boy. He’s a toddler, full of energy and curiosity, and suddenly I had the space to really be with him. Now he actually prefers me over his mum, which is kind of hilarious, but also one of the best gifts I could’ve asked for.

So yeah, that’s where I’m at. Life has this funny way of throwing you off course, only to lead you somewhere better. Stay strong, and remember: the gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace.

Peace out

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