It’s been a minute since I last posted anything and a lot has happened in that time so I think a re-introduction is warranted.

Hi, my name is Jennifer. My friends get to call me Jenn. I am 44 (yikes, 45 in July 2025) and currently reside in Cranleigh, Surrey. I was born in Northern Ireland in 1980 and my parents decided to move to South Africa when I was 6 weeks old. What was meant to be only a year or two ended up being 25. After finishing Matric (the South African equivalent of A-Levels) I spent a year in the UK working and doing some travel before going home to study at the University of Pretoria, completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Sciences. I moved back to the UK permanently in September 2005. I started off on Northern Ireland but after 14 months found it too small for me and moved to London in November 2006.

In 2008 I took the plunge onto the property ladder and lived in Greenhithe, Kent for 10 years before life took a turn and I took an unplanned intentional pill overdose in January of 2018 (you can read some reflections here) which led me to moving to Surrey in May of 2018 and I have lived between Farncombe, Haslemere and now Cranleigh.

Along with battling (and winning) my mental health I also battle fibromyalgia, a frustrating chronic illness that has me in constant pain and led also to developing social anxiety. In 2020, despite the physical challenge fibromyalgia would pose I climbed Kilimanjaro (more here) and then the world shut down. The first lockdown was a war never mind a battle for me and waiting to get Amani, my emotional support cat is what got me through it.

To help manage the social anxiety I developed following the pandemic I got Amani, a Ragdoll cat who has been my constant companion since June 7, 2020 and I have loved every minute of having her. She has been the ice breaker to conversations raising awareness of hidden disabilities and accessibility as well as some new and amazing friendships.