What would you do, if you weren't afraid?

(Editors Letter: April Issue 2025)

Hey lovely,

Can you believe that this year, I turn 47. In just three short years, I’ll be 50 — a number that feels downright strange to write. When I was young, I thought 50 was practically prehistoric, a milestone so distant it might as well have been in another galaxy. But now, here I am, standing at its door like a guest who’s accidentally arrived early to the party. And as I look around, with so many of my friends already celebrating this milestone, I realise: 50 isn’t old. It’s just... the beginning.

Sure, there are the inevitable lines around my neck, the eyesight that now demands I push the menu away to read, and the constant reminder that my lower back is holding a personal vendetta against me after wearing 4 inch heels for two decades, but aside from that? I don’t feel old. I feel like something new is knocking at the door — a new chapter, brimming with possibilities.

My 40s have been a cocktail of change, with a twist of unexpected joy. I got married on the sandy beaches of Barbados, only to find myself divorced in a very modern way — online, of course. I swapped my rainy life in a 7-bedroom house tucked away in a tiny village in Kent, for a sleek apartment on the 21st floor in Dubai.. I spent months in isolation during the pandemic, only to be welcomed into a vibrant, new community of friends here in the UAE. I went from just having a blog to publishing my first book. I transitioned from freelance consultant, to Global Marketing Director, from managing a small team to overseeing the marketing for 13 international offices.

It’s been a whirlwind, and after all that change, I find myself asking: What’s next?

What do I want the next chapter to be? What adventure lies ahead — and, to be honest, do I even have the energy to tackle anything more?

After three months of deep reflection (and a fair amount of wine), the answer is clear: Dream again. It’s so easy to buy into society’s narrative that 50 means slowing down, stocking up on orthopaedic shoes, and planning a cozy retirement. But I’m not buying it. No, it’s time to dream again. But not just any dream — a bold one. A dream that makes my heart race and my palms sweat. The kind of dream that’s wildly ambitious, ridiculously outlandish, and maybe even a little childlike in its enthusiasm. After all, if I’ve already passed the halfway mark of life, why not chase after whatever my heart truly desires?

As I approach 50, my daughter will be preparing to head off to college in the USA. It's a double milestone — and one I want to celebrate with a dreamlike lifestyle of my own. I don’t want to become a jaded, middle-aged version of myself. No, I want this next chapter to be a page-turner — thrilling, adventurous, full of love, travel, and a lot of service to others. I want a life that’s not just lived, but fully felt.

So, as I ponder what’s next for me, I encourage you to do the same. No matter where you are, no matter what life has thrown your way, Spring is the perfect time to let something new blossom. This month, give yourself permission to dream again and as you do, ask yourself this:

What would you do, if you were unafraid?

Love Kubi x