The JDMO

The Castle on Champagne Ridge

March 6, 2026 No Comments

It’s been a long time since I went anywhere in Kenya that I felt like posting about, but finally, I managed to venture out of my little coastal town, back up to Nairobi, and visited some of my friends on Champagne Ridge.

On a whim, I reached out to my friend Debs for availability. After an overwhelmingly wet week in Nairobi, whilst also feeling quite down about the cancellation of my trip home to Australia, a trip out of the mud and muck of the construction site was exactly what my spirit needed. I had lamented to my boyfriend (oh right, you remember Ben? The guy I was doing the drive from South Africa- Watamu with? We are dating now) and my friends in town about how FAR AWAY everything felt, and what felt like a bone-chilling cold in the air – though lets be real, its been in the 20’s the entire time I’ve been up; I’ve just adjusted to the tropics and the seaside.

Champagne Ridge is about an hour out of the Karen side of Nairobi, just through Kiserian. While it didn’t rain during the drive, the week’s worth of downpour was immediately evident; with the dirt roads unfailingly converted into slippery treacherous mud slicks – with both cottony soil, compacted clay, and areas that the locals had evidently decided needed extra help; laying steel bars and concrete on the steepest of slopes. We drove up in Ben’s Defender, and while we saw a few Vitz or proboxes on the route; personally I wouldn’t back myself enough as a driver to attempt it on the roads when wet.

Ben says I am being dramatic with that. But, rather than be dramatic, than bogged in the mud on the side of the road, no?

Accomodation

I had booked us into The Nest – a small cottage overlooking a huge ravine, with views that reminded me of why I fell in love with this part of the world. After the chaos of Nairobi and the bustling tourism of Watamu, Champagne Ridge really was a breath of fresh air. With a silence so complete (aside from the occasional song bird) it is one of the few places that felt like really “getting away” from town. The simplicity of the accommodation added to the charm – we could tell that the construction was done lovingly and by hand – no quick slap-jobs here, and given the cold air in the ridge, it stayed surprisingly warm and cosy inside, even without a fireplace (or closing the curtains!)

The Nest is fully equip for self-catering; a small fridge, cooking utensils, a gas burner and a barbecue, and that suited us just fine. We brought our own food from home, and set up camp in the living room to watch the thunderstorms unfold – shattering the night sky with bolts of lightning and thunder claps big enough that the windows at home would have shook – yet these stood firm.

Being something of a gardener, I couldn’t help by admire their rainwater catchment; the entire property runs off rainwater harvesting; the taps, the showers, the toilets. This means that the tap water is safe to drink – a rare novelty in Kenya, where municipal water is king. But even more so than this; despite what must have been over 100mm of rainfall, their guttering was robust enough that not a single drop went to waste. There was no overflow, no cracks in the system, and completely neat, tidy removal of all drainage. As someone who hates mud and water wastage, this tickled me absolutely pink. As someone who was sleeping on the edge of a CLIFF – the control of slide-off calmed the tippy-taps of nerves that I always seem to have when standing on a sheer drop off.

If you don’t want to pack your own meals like we did, there is a restaurant called Bunduz just back along the way, that has a remarkable menu, and they deliver! As we all know, I can be something of a picky eater, both with dietary preferences and my recent health kerfuffles, but even I found something on their menu that was suitable! So for both Vegans and Meat-lovers alike, you won’t go wrong.

Given that it was only one night in The Nest, I regrettably don’t have much to say about the hikes surrounding – as it was extremely wet (and we were tired and lazy) we didn’t partake in an evening or dawn stroll, but I can certainly see that being something that we give a go the next time we head up. If you’re looking for a quick and easy weekend getaway out of Nairobi, I strongly, strongly recommend this. (Those with kiddlets will need to keep an eye on their little ones as the cliffs are no joke, and there is a resident troop of baboons, with bad boys large enough to make our eyes water)

You can reach out to them here;

View On Airbnb Cottage in Kiserian · ★4.98 · 1 bedroom · 1 bed · 1 bath

And no, this isn’t sponsored, or gifted in any way. It’s just an absolute gem of a place, for a steal of a price, and conveniently located close enough to Nairobi (particularly Karen) that it is perfect for a quick escape from reality.

Blog

The well-explored, and yet completely uncharted waters of grief.

August 22, 2025 No Comments

Grief is something that no one is a stranger to. It’s just one of those intrinsic parts of life. It is simply because we know that our time is limited, that we need to remember how precious it is.

As someone who has lived abroad for so long, I have always been conscious of how much time I am missing out on with my family and my life back in Australia. The growing up of my nephews, the big life milestones of my family members, the wordless, seemingly-insignificant moments of quiet coffees in the morning, or trips to the grocery store with my mum. With the unexpected death of my father in February this year, it brought it all that much more into focus.

Our father passed away in February of this year, after many years of struggling with his health. While we knew that he was unwell, we certainly had not predicted him passing so soon. In the weeks leading up to it, my sister and I had spoken to him every day, taking turns to reach out, to compare notes on how he was doing, to strategise what we could do to help him. Being in the country, my sister visited him in person, while I could only call from abroad. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do. In the wake of his death, we are simply trying to move through the world and handle his affairs in the way that we would have wanted.

Throughout this grieving process (it’s been 6 months + 1 day since he passed), I’ve been thinking a lot about loss. The things that used to matter to me, just don’t. The things that used to wind me up to no end, simply don’t matter any more – or they certainly matter less. Even with professional help, I felt like there was something missing – this need to understand more, to rationalise more, to take a step back to understand what this loss has meant for me.

I’m still trying to figure that one out.

Dad passing away will have an effect for the rest of my life. I’ll never get to see him get well, or live happily. He will never watch me grow up, grow old, grow into myself. I will never hear his voice again, or smell his particular smell, or hear all of the stories that he never got time to tell us. The weight of that knowledge is immeasurable, and I truly don’t know how to hold all of that in my own head, let alone carry it.

For the time being, the rationale is to try and think about what lessons he did manage to pass on, and his attitude for doing the right thing; damn what other people do, or say, or think about it. I think that’s something that most of us could benefit from; forgoing the thoughts and opinions of people that do not really matter to us, or even if they do – sacrificing your own path to follow the expectations that others have set out for you.

Blog, Books

Breaking Writers Block; a Court of Thorns and Roses

February 1, 2025 No Comments

It’s been a while, and as someone who once dreamed of being a professional writer it can be a bit disheartening to feel like you can’t put yourself out there – it can be incredibly vulnerable to expose parts of yourself for public consumption, even if they are completely true reflections of your own life. Quite simply, the internet can be a weird and wonderful place, but once something is on there, it’s there forever. In my 2025 bid of trying to be nothing but a blossom of positivity (with my black coffee humour getting a swift kick to the shins), I am going back to the tried-and-true world of book reviews. At least until I’m a bit braver again.

So, in a bid to maintain (ahem, restart) momentum, this will be my first post of the year – a good old fashioned book review. Because if I don’t feel brave enough to tell you stories about my own life, why not give my humble opinion on someone else’s creativity?

A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J Maas

Wikipedia tells me that this book was published in 2015, however I don’t remember seeing or hearing much about it until sometime in the last 6-12 months. While I used to be hugely into fantasy books, I had largely deviated away from them, in favour of admittedly, a lot of self-help and development books.

Alas, I was at Cape Town International airport, waiting to board a flight back to Nairobi, and I was dreading the long haul in the air. I have been resisting a Netflix binge, as that was how I numbed myself through 2024, and I feel that my addiction to the tablet has played a huge part in stumping my creativity. Wanting to spring forward back into productivity and goal-setting-and-achievement, I have been trying to claw my way back into hobbies that enhance the features of myself that I used to love.

I readily admit that it was out of sheer desperation that I had picked up this book; I recognised the cover from an instagram user that I follow, and although I read the blurb, it didn’t give much away or give me high expectations. It was simply placing my trust in another human on the internet. I have to say, from the very first few pages, I was completely absorbed.

The story follows the life of youngest-of-three-daughters Feyre, who promised her late mother on her deathbed that she would take care of her father and older sisters. Through necessity, she turns to hunting and scavenging to survive, and manages to eke out a living for her household.

After a tragic interaction with a magical being, she is plunged into the faerie world of Prythian, and the story follows was has been described as an “epic love story and fierce battle” that subsequently follows. I know that when I say the word “faerie”, some people will meet it with eye rolls and scoffs. But think less Tinkerbell, more Tithe (Holly Black). 10/10 the best type of fantasy.

I honestly struggle to give feedback without giving much away about this book, as genuinely there was so much that surprised me, and so much that I found to be (a little) expected (but heavily enjoyed and anticipated). That being said, I was not able to put it down, and the day I started reading it, I was up until almost 3am still glued to the pages. I only put it down in order to get a few hours sleep (I managed 3hrs only), before being unable to stop myself from picking it up again; reading solidly until I had completed it, intermittently giving updates to whoever cared to listen to them.

If you enjoy fantasy novels that feature a strong heroine, good-vs-evil battles, slow burn romances, as well as some incredibly well written battle scenes, give this one a try.

I’m back in Kenya now, and already looking to see if I can get a copy of the sequel locally.

For those with access to Amazon, you can take a look at it here: (this is not an affiliate link, just a general link to the amazon product)

Happy reading!

Blog, Kenya, Road Trips, South Africa, Tanzania, Travel, Zambia, Zimbabwe

South Africa to Kenya: A 4,500km Cross-Continental Road Trip

June 10, 2024 No Comments

Around January, I was invited by a guy I had met recently to join him on a road trip from South Africa to Kenya. He was, as he told me, planning to make the trip down with his father, to visit an old friend living in Johannesburg. At the time I had no preconceptions of what the trip would entail – a cross-continental road trip was something that sounded absolutely exhilarating to me, but I was apprehensive. Did I know this guy well enough? Surely this is something I should plan a bit more? What about my job? How much leave will I need to take? How much will this all cost?

All valid questions. And, if you know me, they were swimming around in my head for WEEKS, even right up until the time I was supposed to be booking flights. I was apprehensive about the concept of multiple border crossings, of being in a car for two-weeks (at least) with a guy I had, at that point, known for less than an month (what if we ran out of things to talk about? What if we decided three days in that we couldn’t stand each other and I had to take a flight back home, cutting the trip short with my tail between my legs?), as well as the fact that I had done so little planning for this such of trip that I almost didn’t know where to start. I didn’t even know what was WORTH SEEING in half of these countries, so what if we missed something spectacular along the way? Since the disintegration of my long term relationship in 2021, I hadn’t done ANY international travel with a partner – what if I had somehow transformed into some puddle of a human being, completely useless on the road, and bored the poor guy to tears so much that he regretted the whole thing?

As if inspired by divine intervention, one of my close girlfriends called me unexpectedly, as if she knew that I was getting in my head about it all.

“Jessica”, she said, “I know what you’re like, and I know if you end up thinking about it too much you’ll talk yourself out of it. Stop worrying so much and just enjoy it for what it is!”

She was, of course, right. As she often is.

And so, dear reader, this will be the beginning of a mini-series, about our 4,500km journey from Johannesburg, South Africa all the way up to Watamu, Kenya. Read on for piecemeal scribblings about Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania (with some of our most memorable stops along way) back into my current home of Kenya.

Blog, Namibia, Travel

Namibian Photo Safari

February 25, 2023 No Comments

Our trip to Namibia seems like an absolute lifetime ago, however in reality was only earlier this year. (Edit: this draft was started in 2019, and its now 2023, whoops) Pouring through my photo albums, looking for some writing inspiration, I felt that perhaps the best thing to do would be to share some of our pictures with you, to help inspire your next trip to this beautiful country.

Having climbed one of the dunes at Sesriem, we were very grateful to have completed the climb early in the morning; as soon as the sun came out properly, it was absolutely scorching in the heat.

Matt loving the open space and dry weather

Watching the elephants hydrate at Halidi Camp/Lodge in the middle of Etosha National Park

Soaking up some sunshine in Etosha National Park

Blog, Lifestyle

Everyday (affordable!) essentials to make 2023 your most successful year

February 18, 2023 No Comments

It’s important to have the right tools on hand when building your Path to Success. If your tools are of crappy quality, they will break halfway on the journey, and leave you in the lurch. Too expensive, and you’ll be chasing your tail all year to try and justify them. But, if you’re not on the same budget as the 1%, perhaps I can be of help. Here is my list of the most basic, yet helpful, things to have on hand to help you achieve success.

For those who are not quite Beauty Product Aficionados, but value self-care (like me):

Micellar water – by far the best and most affordable cleanser and facial treatment that I’ve come across. Starting from $7, this is one option that will not break the bank.
Moisturiser – as someone with sensitive skin, I feel like I’ve tried every option out there. By far, my current favourite is a wonderfully rich cream by La Roche Posay. Certainly not available to everyone, but this is one option that is worth its weight in gold. No perfumes, nasties or irritants, this baby will keep you hydrated and youthful all day long. Available in just about every chemist or department store in Australia.
Oil – Lancombe Miracle Oil. Ok. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t buy this product – I’m still using the free sample that I was given in December (it’s now February!!). One or two drops per day, and it’s liquid GOLD, my friends. That being said, most serums and oils are much the same in my opinion, and should you choose a reputable brand, there isn’t a huge amount of difference. Failing that, just apply a rich moisturiser, like my good old favourite La Roche Posay.
Clear nail polish – Having my nails painted (even clear!) helps to make me feel so much put together. And protects my nail health. Check out this option for an affordable, neutral colour combo.
Mascara and eyeliner – Maybelline are selling a duo option online for the sweet, sweet price of $21.50 AUD. Bargain. That being said, my fail-proof FAVOURITE of all mascaras is Urban Decay’s Better Than Sex options, both in regular and waterproof. With the added amazing feature that they are both vegan and cruelty-free!
Eyebrow pencil – if eyes are the windows to the soul, eyebrows are the curtains. Keep your face well framed with my current favourite eyebrow pencil from MAC. Once this runs out I do intend to replace with a cruelty-free option, but for now I am using up the products that I already have.

For the Stationary Nerds and Office Workers

Planners, planners planners! While any notebook will do, if you are as stationary-passionate as I am then only the best will suffice. My two favourites are a simple, lined moleskin, and the infallible HOBONICHI; ie the QUEEN of planners, diaries and bullet journalling. Seriously. My utter, utter, favourite planner of all time, available with various covers, as a single whole-year volume, or split into two 6-month (lighter) modules. I like to keep my personal and work planners separate, but if you are organised enough, it’s certainly doable to combine them with these handy little options.
Walking Pads. Personally, I love my daily walks – so much so that they are one of my most favourite times of day. I listen to podcasts, and almost always run into a friend or a neighbour for a chat. However, if you aren’t living somewhere with weather favourable to a regular walk, consider looking at a walking pad – amazon has a number of options here , for reasonable prices. While they are the one item on this list so far that is over $100, if used every day then the cost per use can be as little as $1/day (or less!) depending on the option you select.

Exercise equipment

Skipping rope/weighted skipping rope – this one from rebel sport was a gift from my sister for last Christmas. I used to be very much into endurance running and cycling, but after completing my 70.3 Ironman in 2019, I have to admit I stopped a lot of running and opted for walking and skipping! If weighted skipping ropes aren’t your thing, a regular speed rope from a dollar store will do perfectly!
Sports gear – My favourite brand is Lorna Jane – proudly Australian owned and designed by Lorna Jane Clarkson. My sister used to work for this brand back when we were in high school, and that was where the love affair started, and never ended. To this day, the only sports bra that I use with consistency for high-intensity workouts is this one. In addition, all their leggings are squat proof, and mine have lasted years longer than they should have, with my poor care techniques. That being said, they are certainly not the cheapest brand out there. For all my shorts, I’ve been buying Lonsdale and FILA from Target Australia without any complaints (averaging $12 per pair!), and all my racer back exercise tops are from Cotton On, without exception, and almost exclusively bought when on sale, many years ago.

These are probably the things that I use MOST commonly throughout the year for my own personal sanity, but please send through any areas that you would like me to expand into!

Disclaimer: Some of the links included in this post link to affiliate websites, and any resulting purchase may earn me a small commission. That being said, all of the items listed above have been used by me, and are genuine recommendations.

If you have not yet done so, and are an Australian resident, I recommend you join ShopBack.com.au, to earn cash back on your online purchases. If you would like to sign up using my link, please click here. To sign up for Missinglettr to schedule drip campaigns, my referral link is here

Blog, Lifestyle

New Year; New Me.

January 4, 2023 No Comments

If you’re anything like me, Mondays are tricky. They hold both the “blues” of “Monday-blues”, but also the ever-refreshing promise of a fresh start. Same logic applies for the first day of the month (or year), the first day of a new job or even a new exercise program. A number of my favourite things.

And now, dear reader, we find ourselves at the beginning of 2023. We are post-pandemic, post-crisis, (mid-?) recession, and now comfortably in the middle stages of life (recently 30, I am starting to believe I am finally a grownup). Over the last two years there have been so many “firsts”, that for a long while there I became entirely disillusioned with the word, and longed for some stability. A bit of repetitiveness. A bit of predictability. There was the first lock down. The first breakup. The first “first date after the breakup”. The first bout of COVID (three more affectations would follow), and the “first” night in my new house, about 5 times, as I moved house multiple times between 2020 and 2022.

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, firstly, thank you for your patience. This was a website started from my passion for writing, but over the last few years of trials and tribulations, it fell by the wayside as I focused on the maintenance of my mental health and general wellbeing. Over the coming months, I will hopefully be able to share some of those experiences with you, with respect to the people and services that have been of assistance to me.

I hope that you enjoy the ride. I’ve missed you. x