2012. Oh, what a year. The biggest and most transformative 12 months of my life, without a doubt.
The first part of the year can be summed up as B.U.S.Y. Turning the wedding around in five months – and trying to ‘do it all’ – was a little nuts and quite often I found I was thriving on adrenalin and gotta-get-it-done-ness rather than good, natural energy.
The obvious lesson for me here was that I needed to learn to ask for help – sooner. Got it.
After the wedding, everything began to flow beautifully and opportunities started showing up all over the place. I learnt to deeply trust my intuition and measure all my decisions up against how a situation makes me feel. I turned down one promising gig because I knew I wouldn’t be able to give it the attention it required, but more importantly, because it would take me further away from my other dreams and desires.
I’ve never regretted it. This was just one instance of gut-knowing in 2012.
It’s been a year of enormous growth, new friendships, plenty of aha! moments, milestones, tears, laughter, dreams come true and pure, juicy love. Below are some of the stand out moments…
Bloggers Meet Up
January kicked off with a bang with a Gold Coast/ Brisbane bloggers meet up at Stingray bar. Nothing better than getting out from behind the computer and meeting the amazing ladies you’ve been conversing with online in “real life.”
Sydney
February was soon upon us and Ramai and I headed down to Sydney and had an awesome weekend exploring the Northern Beaches (the first time we’d checked out Manly, Avalon, Palm Beach et al and we shall be back!)
Read all about it:
Melbourne
I also flew to Melbourne for my best friend’s birthday and my first wedding dress fitting (!!) The above pics were all I snapped – clearly I was too busy enjoying myself to whip the camera out.
Alexander Wang Goodness
The other notable occasion in Feb? Becoming a proud mama to this gorgeous Alexander Wang creation, a shoulder-breaking hunk of a bag that hasn’t left my side since.
Astro Reading
March rolled around quickly and became one of my favourite months of the year.
First up was an eye-opening, energy-filled astrology reading with Tali Edut of AstroStyle, and having recently listened to the recording again I can tell you that everything we discussed has unfolded exactly the way Tali said it would (she even said “I could see you doing something like Marie Forleo’s B-School,” which I’d completely forgotten about, AND GUESS WHAT, I DID!)
Read all about it:
Engagement Photo Shoot
Not long after my reading, we met up with our wedding photographer Ali Mitton for our engagement shoot in Byron Bay – a fun day with lots of laughing, kissing and staring deeply into each other’s eyes (haha!)
Sweet observation: Ramai always seems to be on my left – coincidentally, my “weaker” side – which is rather symbolic of our relationship. He really is my perfect complement – the fine detail to my big picture thinking, the calm to my enthusiasm, the left to my right.
Read all about it:
Hens Party
And then it was all about the laydees for my hens weekend – the best freaking two days ever!
I got to play stylist (any excuse). We belly laughed… uncontrollably. We danced. We drank mojitos from mason jars. We revelled in the depth of our collective friendships, and when I woke up on the Sunday morning, my heart, well it overfloweth with love, so it did.
Read all about it:
+ Making Me Happy: The Hens Party Edition
Selfish for 27 Days Featured Guest
In April, I was a featured guest in Susana Frioni’s Selfish for 27 days, speaking about the ways I manage overwhelm through positive reinforcement, visualisation and a bunch of other positive tactics.
The rest of the month zoomed by in a blur, knee deep in wedding to-do’s.
Read all about it:
+ 6 Weeks Today: The Wedding Countdown is On
+ Behind the Scenes with a Bride-to-Be: 5 Weeks to Go
Wedding Dress = Ready + Invisalign = Off!
May entailed flying to Melbourne to pick up my wedding dress (tears!), more wedding organisation, and after 12 months of everyday wear, getting my Invisalign off. Big grins all round.
Read all about it:
+ Behind the Scenes with a Bride-to-Be: Under 3 Weeks to Go
Guest Blogger on The Wellness Warrior
I was also invited to be a guest blogger for one of my favourite sites The Wellness Warrior.
Marrying the Man of My Dreams
The most magical day of my life happened this year – June 2, the day I married my best friend and soulmate, surrounded by the most important people in our lives.
I was never in a big rush to get hitched as Ramai and I have always “felt” married, but I have to say, sitting here with my husband six months in, it does feel different… in the best possible way. I couldn’t be more in love with this beautiful soul.
Read all about it:
+ R + R Get Married: The Ceremony (Part 2)
+ R + R Get Married: The Reception (Part 3)
+ R + R Get Married: Party Time (Part 4)
+ R + R Get Married: The Details (Part 5)
B-School
Two days after our wedding I started Marie Forleo’s B-School, an eight week online business/ entrepreneurship course that, with absolutely-no-hyperbole-at-all, has changed my life.
I knew B-School would give me the push I needed to steer my ship in a new direction, but at the time, I wasn’t entirely sure when that would happen or how it would all unfold. I now know.
I started coaching with Susana who was my ‘accountability coach’ for several months and along the way, I’ve formed gorgeous friendships with inspiring (and aspiring) biz women in the B-School Facebook group. Again, total game-changer. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
+ Pop the champers, In Spaces Between also turned 1 in June (hooray!)
Hotel Weekend
Oh hi July.
First up was a relaxing winter weekend at QT Hotel, where we ate, drank delicious cocktails and I drifted off to heavenly place during a spa treatment at spaQ. Yum.
Read all about it:
The Village Markets Bloggers Breakfast
Later that month I joined a bunch of gorgeous Gold Coast/Brisbane bloggers (Lori from Eight. Ten. Ten; Jas from Fizzle Out; Liss from Daydream Lily; Ally from Unknown Pleasures; Jess from Konstantinos; Sammi from Chase Dakota; Sophie from Peppa Hart Bride; Carly from Mumma Electric) and our hosts, Marissa and Sarah from The Village Markets for a chilled out morning of eating, chatting, wandering and shopping.
Pretty much the perfect Sunday morning, no?
eBook
In August I released my first eBook, More Magic All the Time: 20 Ways to Create Your Best Life Ever which has found its way to the hands of 3000 peeps in the past four months.
I also created, with the help of Sian (who designed the eBook as well) a downloadable daily planner to help us all hone in on the most important stuff every day. Practicing gratitude is, of course, front and centre.
Both are yours for free so if you haven’t already got your copies:
+ Download the Make Magic Daily Planner
The Lifestyle Transformation Guide Featured Guest
Jess invited me to talk passion, balance, overwhelm and everything in between on video for her revolutionary wellness program, The Lifestyle Transformation Guide, which hit the interwebz in September.
Thrilled and honoured to have been part of such an incredible – and important – offering.
Read all about it:
+ The Lifestyle Transformation Guide
Another Wedding
In September, I also got an insight into what it’s like to style someone else’s wedding (well, the putting-it-all-together part anyway, the overall look had already been created by Judi from Little Gray Station).
Read all about it:
Cosmo Bride
Ahh October, the month our Big Day was featured in Cosmo Bride magazine!
Such a beautiful keepsake (for when we’re old and grey and our grandkids ask “What’s a magazine?”)
Problogger
I went back to Melbourne in October for the Problogger event, where I had a ball meeting a bunch of wonderful bloggy – and B-School – babes (and catching up with the gals I already know). I also met Sarah Wilson (stunning, smart as hell) and Chris Guillebeau (beyond lovely).
Read all about it:
+ Problogger Event 2012: The Full Wrap Up (Pt 1)
+ Problogger Event 2012: The Full Wrap Up (Pt 2)
Interviews
2012 was a big year for interviews (I’ve lost count but let’s just say there were many – which is awesome, because I love being interviewed!) but one of the highlights was popping up on Betty Means Business in October, a killer site run by a fellow B-Schooler.
Read all about it:
+ Making Me Happy {direct link to interview here}
Friendship
2012: The Year of Ze Woman. Or should that be, The Year of Soul-Rocking, Heart-Warming, Effing Excellent Friendships?
Either way, it’s been all about strong bonds and feminine power in my world this year. From special moments with my best friends, to deepening new friendships online and at my now-former job, I’ve often marvelled at how lucky I am to know so many ass-kicking, dream-chasing, wild-horses-wouldn’t-hold-me-back kinda women.
Connecting, collaborating and making a commitment to cheer each other on always is so, so powerful. Dear Universe, more of that in 2013 please!
Turning 30 + A Mini Break in Byron
Birthday month! November is always an exciting month for me and this year was no exception, particularly because this birthday was a special one – the Big 3-0.
On the brink of 30, everyone started telling me how your thirties are the best years, how you just “know” things that you previously would have doubted and how you care less about what others think and more about what feels right for you… and I have to say, it’s true! Turning 30 was a noticeable leap forward for me.
To celebrate me shimmying into a new decade, Ramai took me away on a holiday to a gorgeous beach house in Broken Head in Byron Bay for five days, and my nearest and dearest came down for a day ‘n’ night of good food, cocktails and dancing. Perfection.
Read all about it:
+ Thirty
Kinesiology
I started seeing a kinesiologist (Anita Crosbie) in November which was definitely the catalyst for what happens next in my 2012 story.
From the first treatment, I learnt how out of harmony my energy was, where stress was impacting my body and the limiting beliefs that were keeping me in my comfort zone and away from living a completely aligned life.
Anita said “Things usually start happening pretty quickly after kinesiology” and ain’t that the truth, sista?! I was initially working towards leaving my full-time job sometime around May 2013, but a month after my first kinesy sesh I stepped into my boss’ office and handed him my resignation letter after 4.5 years with the company.
It was time.
Quitting My Full-Time Job + Starting a Business!
Which brings me to this point. Let me tell you about a week that will always stand out as one of those “defining weeks” in my life.
We’d come home from my Byron birthday festivities on the Monday and I went straight to my second kinesiology sesh. Jacked up on delicious energy, I raced home for my first coaching call with Julie Parker – who I’m thrilled will now be mentoring me on a longer-term basis – and by the end of the call I knew that I would be leaving my job before the year was out. It would be an extraordinary end to an extraordinary year and would allow me to regroup over the break and start 2013 fresh and with a new direction.
Julie said “There will never be a perfect time” and I tucked that truth in my pocket, spun it around in my head a few hundred times, and on the Wednesday, included a few lines in my newsletter to let you all know that I was taking “expressions of interest” for bright sparks wanting to work with me on a one-on-one basis.
By Friday, I had 30 clients locked and loaded, the majority for one and three month packages. Ta dah! A coaching biz was born!
I resigned the following Monday and the last few weeks have been a big ol’ swirl of action and ideas for a massive 2013. I’ve never felt so sure of anything and know that this is just the beginning of a thrilling ride.
And finally, 2012 had a whole lot of this…
Running, op shopping/ decanter collecting, green goodness, healthy treats, crafting, Burleigh love, 11:11, guidance, neon and succulents.
Thank you so much for your love and support and for being an integral part of the In Spaces Between community (and hey, kudos for making it to the end of this EPIC post!)
2013: we will, we will ROCK YOU. We’ve got this.
Poster: Work is Not a Job
Wow. This is just amazing. You have accomplished so much in 2012 and are surely an inspiration for me into the new year. Congratulations to you and a twelve months well spent. I don’t doubt that you have even greater things to look forward to in 2013.
By the way, don’t you love being able to look back with such detail? I’m currently putting together my own reflection of this past year :) it’s fun, and rewarding.
Danielle: Thank you! Oh yep, I was just saying ‘thank god I have all the old posts to go back through’ to help me fill in the details! The blog has stepped in where my memory fails me ;) x
How amazing Rach – what a truly incredible year 2012 has been for you. And so richly deserved as well. I cannot wait to see what 2013 has in store for you!
Beautiful Rach!! What an incredible year :)
These pics are so lovely, your life in 2012 was bright, airy, fun and fabulous. :)
xxx
Julie: Thank you! I can’t wait to work with you more in 2013 – thank you so much for all your support so far and for your role in MAKING IT HAPPEN xx
Emily: Thank you darling! xx
WOW. What a huge, extraordinary year you’ve had, Rach! Seeing it all together in one post just blew my mind. I didn’t realise how much you’d done in just one little year. You are AMAZING! I hope 2013 is just as magical for you x
Kylie: And you too gorgeous, I know you’re going to blow the lid off 2013! x
Rach, WOW. If you could do all that in a year where you weren’t following your true calling, then just imagine what 2013 holds for you. I cannot wait to see it all unfold x
I love this! I’ve been reading your blog for a while, but wow – it’s incredible to see your year in all it’s achievements. I hope 2013 is as good to you as this year has been. I love reading your blog, it’s such an inspiration. So thank you! x
Can’t tell you how much I loved reading this. You should be so proud of yourself and all your achievements this year. Big congrats. Bet you have an even better 2013! Looking forward to our chat in a couple of weeks xox
I loved this. 2012 has definitely been your year :) In fact, I’ve just signed up for a reading because I hopped over and was blown away at how much they seem to already know about me. Hoping to get some guidance and clarity with them.
I can’t wait for what 2013 has in store for me, and I can just tell it will be perfect for you too. Hope you have an incredible time celebrating the rest of 2012 tomorrow night! xx
You freaking super star! What an incredible year… and amazing as it’s been, I’m sure your 2013 will blow 2012 outta the water!
I’m ridiculously humbled that you’ve included your interview with Betty Means Business here. I’m beyond thrilled to of met you this year Rach. You are truly a bright shining light!
Thank you for your tireless work, sharing so much goodness, and tending this beautiful blog. Here’s cheers to even more success, happiness, and adventure in 2013 sister! RAH! xo
Such a WOW, A-mazing year…looking forward to 2013. Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring :)
You are one inspiring soul! My favourite part of this post is when you talk about you and your beloved – dripping in the love you have for each other. I imagine the 2013 wrap up blog post will be even bigger. Thank you for sharing with us all and helping us to create amazing lives for ourselves. Cannot wait to kick off 2013. It is going to be EPIC.
Holy Moly Rach! How frickin’ incredible is that you have this platform to document so much of this amazing stuff?! I’m writing my closing ceremony post at the moment, and reflecting over the past year seriously amps you up for more miracle weaving in the New Year! Can’t say how much I’m inspired here to keeping pressing on with my own dreams and goals. I’ll be forever grateful for discovering In Spaces Between. Happy New Year beautiful. Massively excited to see what you conjure up in 2013! Xxxx
So lovely to read about your beautiful year Rach, can’t wait to keep in touch in 2013 and see where you fly to. I feel lucky to e-know you! XO
Nikki: Thank you, just reading that gives me butterflies (the excited, bring it on type) Looking forward to connecting more in 2013. x
Alice: Thank YOU. What have you set your sights on for 2013? x
Vanessa: So thrilled to work together in 2013 – let’s make magic lady! x
Sig: Oooh let me know how you go. Are you with Tali or Ophi? x
Kate: Loved our interview, and adore you + what you’re doing (as you already know). x
Dee: Looking forward to seeing all your creations in 2013! x
Jacinta: I’m such an ol’ sop ? Very blessed to be married to such a wise, positive, soulful man, that’s for sure. What’s on the cards for you this year? Can’t wait to connect on our coaching call. x
Jenn: It really does. Having a documentary of our lives/ personal growth is pretty special, isn’t it? I’m pumped to read your recap. So grateful our paths crossed and gunning for you to absolutely smash it out of the park in 2013! x
Annette: The feeling is mutual honey. Really looking forward to teaming up in 2013. xx
Wow. What an amazing year. Best of luck for 2013.
Ok, I’m going to admit this: I’m sitting here BAWLING my eyes out…*facepalm*
Apologies for being so emotional – I just arrived back in the country 72 hours ago and may be still suffering from some post-travel culture shock – but your post has just unleashed a torrent of emotion from deep within me (oh, kudos to you, m’dear on another spectacular post).
Reading the highlights of your magnificent year, yet again, brings back a memory of me sitting in front of my computer, this very time last year, reading your yearly wrap-up, sobbing, and feeling a deep yearning to live a big, beautiful life like you do. I remember distinctly how I felt a pain in my heart as I realised my life was void of such joy, such spirit, such adventure…such self-love. And so, I made a promise to myself to make all this happen in 2012, just like you…
And guess what? I DID.
Thanks to you and your amazing words of wisdom, Rach, I went out and I lived the biggest, brightest, most adventurous life I could possible create…as scared and unsure as I was, at times. But knowing you would deliver incredible words of support whenever I needed them (which you did, in abundance), got me through every hurdle and every challenge.
I am in eternal debt to you for all the times you gave of your own precious time to pen me an email or response that was tailored just for me, that gave me the strength I needed to carry on, to give me a boost when I was flailing. To you, I give my deepest thanks and love. You are my constant source of inspiration, strength, and hope. I only wish that 2013 brings you all the love, magic, and joy that you deserve in this world.
Wishing you and Ramai a very happy New Year x
Shanny xo
You’re such an inspiration Rach! What a fabulous year and the best is yet to come.
I’m just starting my own personal blog too as it’s such a great way to keep track of all the good things as they happen. The year seems to fly by so fast I’d like to have a place to share my memories.
Hope to see you more in 2013 xx
Oh, Miss R! You inspire my innards every time I read your whimsical words. I am so truly happy to witness wonderful women such as yourself creating and living kick-ass lives. The world needs this. We all need this. To live in alignment with our highest, truest self is a massive achievement. Every time we steer in that direction a butterfly smiles and Tinkerbell shivers in delight. May your 2013 be filled with magic and wonder and light. Muchos amore amigo… xo
Ohhh RACH!!!!! What a post, what a year, what a beautifully soulful, inspiring, beautiful go get em kinda gal you are. I have read and re read this post THREE times just to keep vibin’ off the words you’ve written and the joy and inspiration that comes through them. Your 2012 has truly been magnificent but I know that you’ll rock 2013 even harder and I cant WAIT to follow your journey (& be coached by you! I am one of the lucky ones!!!) Have a magical, joyful and amazing New Year beautiful Rach.
Anna xx
p.s I just read all your comments but the one Shanny left was SO loving and amazing. It must blow you away how much you really do inspire us all with this space and with your words.
Gorgeous Rach,
I L.O.V.E.D READING THIS!
It’s amazing to be have been here right next to you for an amazing year and recap on all the wonderful times!
Wowser… Its been a huge, exciting, challenging, life changing year… And I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings for you.
I feel blessed to be around all your amazingness! Xx
What an amazing year you’ve had!
Congratulations on following your heart and living your dreams. I hope you’re enjoying newly married life to the max as well as your first exciting steps on your new career path.
I always feel so inspired and happy when I pop by your blog, thank you for your positivity and go get ’em attitude – your words encourage me to dream big but to also be thankful for everything I have right now :)
Wishing you a wonderful 2013! xx
Wow, Rach. What a year! And what an inspiration you are. No word of a lie, meeting you and all the other B-School lovelies was one of the stand-out highlights of my 2012 (thanks for the intro, Marthe!). I can’t wait to see what’s to come in 2013 <3