Apologies for the Writing Hiatus…
Can I just start by saying, please excuse the two month writing hiatus. I set out to make sure this time, I did not give up after the 4th blog post. Apparently, that was a self fulfilling prophecy. As after I clicked publish on that fourth post, I fell off the blogging sphere.
After returning from the US with anxiety and burnout, bruised mentally and physically, and unable to make any decisions, writing was my salvage. I was in a mental conundrum and started this blog at a time when I needed to fill the void of my days. However, since my last post I have filled them with a new job alongside wholesome, mental health rebuilding activities. Due to this, I have struggled to find the balance between writing and life. I got too wrapped up in the overwhelming amount of pressure that comes with creating content. Promising myself that I would post once a week started to become unachievable. I was deep diving in web design and scared about how to be active on social media, as a social media avoidant.
I have realised since that all that matters is the reason I first started this blog, the writing. Giving the community of passionate wine loving individuals, both in the industry and not, a place to learn and explore.
I have taken a lot of time the last few months questioning myself and my place in wine. A quarter life crisis some may say. In these musings, I have come to the conclusion that despite the difficulties that come along with the job, I know it is truly where I am meant to be.
What Wine Means for Me
Wine combines so many elements of life that I love. For me, being a part of this industry means being at the mercy of mother nature. It means creating a naturally beautiful and complex product through the combination of art and science. It means being part of a community of passionate people. It means playing a part in the gastronomic side of life. However, most importantly for me, it means the freedom and ability to travel.
I recently got my visa accepted for IEC Canada. So from June I will be back in Canada, in the Okanagan, where my love of wine began. However this time, I will be working in the industry, from cellar doors to cellar floors. I cannot wait. Canada will be the fourth country I will have had the opportunity to make wine in and for that, I am extremely grateful. I am grateful for my ability to choose a career. I am grateful to be from a country where I can easily access education and I am grateful to be in a position to follow my passion.
My Writing Goals for Oenodyssey
I will finish writing my How To Guides e.g. Live the Sunny Australian Dream – The How To TW Guide for the UK, the USA and Canada. Getting as much helpful information out there for anyone trying to get involved in the countries where I have worked and have knowledge. This is important for me as I felt like I when I started out, I lacked in resources for this. I also want to continue educational posts including the decoding of wine jargon. It is important to me to make the industry as accessible as possible.
I then want to shift the focus to the Okanagan. To interviewing industry professionals and getting the word out from this small, and little known to the rest of the world, wine region. This region was greatly affected by a big freeze in 2024, wiping out 97-99% of the harvest. Therefore, wine tourism in the region is important now more than ever. It will be a very telling year for the Canadian wine industry and the story is one I wish to tell.
We shall speak soon (much sooner this time I promise),
G x