The Trio & Me

From trauma to triumph

about

For almost forty years, my life was shaped by trauma — the kind that settles into your bones and teaches you to survive instead of live. But survival is not the end of the story. Not mine, and not my children’s. This blog begins in the year before I turn forty, the year I finally decided to change the ending. I made a choice: To right what I could, release what I couldn’t, and rebuild what was broken. To stop shrinking from my own life and start shaping it. To heal — deeply, honestly, and fully — not just for me, but for my three children who have walked through every storm beside me. They are my reasons to rise. My three small suns in a sky that has seen too many clouds.

40 things to do – Before I turn 40 (3)

April 17, 2026

3. Travel to a different country

Travelling once felt like a luxury that didn’t belong to me.

As a young single mum, it was something I quietly tucked away under “maybe one day.” I had big dreams of seeing the world, but the reality was very different. We rarely made it out of our town—let alone out of the state. Life was about survival, stability, and doing whatever I could to give my kids what they needed.

But that dream never really left me.

I always held onto this vision—of my children experiencing more than I did. Of them seeing the world, feeling it, remembering it. I wanted them to be young enough to share those moments with me, but old enough to carry the memories… to look back one day and remember the stamps in their passports and the life we built together.

And then one day last year, on a complete whim—with no overthinking, no planning spiral—I just did it.

I booked the trip.

What followed was something I once thought was out of reach. We spent 10 incredible nights on a Carnival cruise through the South Pacific, travelling to Vanuatu and New Caledonia. We snorkelled in crystal-clear water, hiked through beautiful landscapes, laughed, explored, and created memories I know will stay with us forever.

There was something really powerful about being there. Not just because of where we were – but because of what it represented.

A full-circle moment.

From feeling like the world was too far away… to standing in it with my children beside me.

To be able to give my kids a life I once only dreamed of isn’t something I take lightly. It’s the goal. And slowly, piece by piece – we’re getting there.

With more travel plans to come in the future – I am forever blessed that finally, I am at a point in my life – where I can make it happen!