Fuck off 40, i'm not ready yet.....

So, I'm turning 40 in a couple of months and it's really playing on my mind.  It's not the turning 40 that i have an issue with...I don't look it & I certainly don't feel it.  It's just where my life is at the moment.

In my perfect world, by 40 I would've had a sexy husband I'd still be madly in love with.  We would've had a few years just to ourselves before a couple of kids came along and we'd be living the dream....

Instead, I'm still single.  I have no prospects of a husband & the idea of being a mum seems to be slipping further and further out of reach...

I've tried the Internet dating thing but I'm still not sure about it.  I've got a few friends who have met their husbands/wives from there and have a whole bunch more who have been doing it for years.  Today i had a bored moment and signed up to give it another go but I'm not holding my breath on meeting anyone, or even staying on there long enough to meet anyone....i tend to get the shits with it after a day or so and delete my profile!!!  I guess my problem with it is multiple dating.  I find that people are chatting with and dating multiple people all at once which makes you not invest the time into a person you would normally; and makes them keep searching/thinking there is greener grass to be got...

I'll give it a go and see what happens i suppose....

A Nepalese Adventure!

In November 2012 I was part of Save the Children's 'Born to Trek Nepal' adventure volunteering holiday.  What a life changing experience!

There were 18 of us who went.  All of the participants fundraised prior to going and the money raised went to 2 of Save the Children's Nepal programmes - a health and birthing centre in a remote village, and to build of a new classroom to allow children to have a additional year or two of education - they can now learn to the equivalent of grade 3 or 4.

Spending time within these programs was just amazing.  Seeing the impact of the teams fundraising efforts was tremendous and inspiring.  Getting the opportunity to get our hands dirty and spend a few days helping with the beginning of the class room build was life changing.  On a professional level, seeing our international programs and the impact Save the Children are having in developing countries was incredibly motivating.

The highlight of the trip was I got to share it all with my beautiful dad!  My gorgeous wonderful 67 year old dadsie trekked his ass off up and down the Annapurna Ranges.  

We sweated in the hot sun whilst shovelling and moving the earth to level the land for the new classroom to be built and got emotional and inspired to make further change after witnessing the horrific conditions young girls give birth in.  They are young girls, they get married off and are having babies from 14.

There is a lot to be done in developing countries to lower the maternal and infant mortality rates and Save the Children are doing incredible work to do that.

Here's some of my favourite pictures from the trip....Enjoy!

Namaste

Karls :)

Return to the blog....

What to write when you don't feel like talking but really feel like writing!

How about I do a quick & brief recap of the last 12+ months which has kept me so busy i've not had the time nor interest to write.  It's all been work work work and just a smidge of play...need to sort that balance out stat!!

Things have really taken off with my job.  I've run a couple of really exciting events which have now opened up amazing career opportunities which i'm really excited about.  There will be lots happening in 2014!

I've run two high-rise building abseil events - 36floors, the Ultimate Urban Abseil and just the week before last piloted an event which I have developed in conjunction with the owner of the company who deliver our abseil event, it's Australia's first ever bridge swing....so exciting!

I'll get back into this blogging thing in 2014 and try to set myself a goal to do at least one a month.  I think weekly is just too much when there's so much going on.

All in all, life is good, not much has changed...I'm still in the same job, i've come close to quitting 3 times in the last 12 months, i'm still single and given that i'm 40 in a couple of months this is really playing on my mind a lot at the moment....

What a week...

This week I attended the Fundraising Institute of Australia's (F.I.A) annual conference.  This is my 2nd conference with the F.I.A and I can't begin to explain the affect it has had on me.

Imagine having the opportunity to spend 4 solid days with the absolute professionals and idols in your chosen profession.  I got to sit through a one day masterclass with the CEO for the Mater Foundation and took away an amazing amount of learnings and ideas.

Then it was 3 solid days of various classes, speakers, case studies etc.  For anyone not in the fundraising profession this will not excite you.  For me, i'm bloody buzzing!  I got to spend 4 days, with 700 fundraising professionals from all over the world.  

In this industry, we share ideas, challenges, mistakes, lessons, what fundraising methods have worked, what haven't etc.  There's really not a great deal of secrecy because at the end of the day, we all work for really brilliant and worthwhile causes.  We are all philanthropic by nature and want to be the best we can be to help those our organisation helps.  In my case, children.

My newest idol is a dainty and extremely cute 'mature' gal from the USA, Kay Sprinkel Grace.  Of course she's going to be cute, she has 'sprinkel' in her name!  She was so absolutely motivating, inspiring, and I really gained so much from her.

kaygrace.org

Now, for me, it's back to the drawing board when it comes to my 2012 plan.  So many lessons and ideas have made me rethink if what i am planning on doing is the best way for ROI.....and ROI in the not for profit sector is Results Outcomes & Impact!

Another thing I started doing was 'tweeting'!! I am now officially a 'tweeting twit'!! You can follow me at @SaveKarls AND very exciting thing from the conference....i won a bloody iPad!!! yay me!  

Now, time to transcribe my novel of notes while they're still fresh in my head!

Have a great day scrumptious peeps.

Photography course - week 4

I think i'm getting pretty bloody good at this photography caper!  Am learning loads and loving every minute of it.  Here's some pics from week 4 class.  Cant wait till the next full moon!

stunning sunset at The Spit, Southport 

Tricky teacher!

The Gold Coast at night, from Burleigh Hill

Through the Pandanus trees