I have always been a wanderer. Not in some grand, philosophical sense, but in the most literal, restless way. It is the Gemini in me, that supposed duality of personality, a constant tug-of-war between stability and escape. Or it is simpler: I just do not like to stay put.

Born in the green and rainy embrace of the UK, my childhood was a brief intermission before the desert heat of Bahrain. School was a drab canvas, punctuated only by the vibrant strokes of the swimming pool. Water was my sanctuary, a place where the relentless sun and the stifling uniform seemed to fade away.

A return to England brought horses into my life, a wild, exhilarating counterpoint to the academic drudgery. The freedom of the countryside, the raw power of these magnificent creatures - it felt like a homecoming I had not known I was missing. Yet even this idyllic existence could not hold me for long. A stint on a kibbutz in Israel, a series of odd jobs, and a growing realization that the nine-to-five world was a cage I could not bear.

University was a blur of intellectual exploration and social avoidance. International politics and philosophy provided a mental playground, while rowing and swimming offered physical release. The student newspaper was a brief flirtation with journalism, but I was a misfit in the world of campus cliques.

Graduation was a bittersweet milestone. The thrill of freedom was tempered by the daunting prospect of the real world. A chance encounter led me to the sun-drenched southwest of France, where I met a man, I foolishly believed was my soulmate. Pregnancy brought with it a heady mix of joy and fear, but fate intervened cruelly with a miscarriage.

The pain of loss propelled me back to England, where I embarked on a nursing course. The hospital's fast-paced, high-pressure environment was a stark contrast to the academic world, but it was also a place where I felt a sense of purpose. Then came the unexpected: motherhood. A tiny, perfect human being who changed everything.

And so, we returned to the French coast, to the life we had imagined before, but with a heart now forever altered. This is where I find myself now, a woman shaped by countless beginnings, middles, and ends. A wanderer who has finally found a place to rest, for now at least.

To be continued...