How Naomi and I met

If you’ve ever wondered how two girls with a love for chaos, creativity, and zero patience for paperwork ended up building this together, you’re in the right place.

Neither of us were made for 9 to 5s or office chairs. We’ve built careers filming major concerts, hosting influencer lunches, and chasing ideas that let us fly. And somewhere in that whirlwind, Naomi and I crossed paths.

We’d heard of each other, mutual circles, AND we have the same best friend (shout-out to Alex). So when Alex and I got back from a trip, I knew it was time to finally meet this Naomi girl. We grabbed coffee at Soho House and ended up talking for ten hours straight. We even bought festival ticketsl for a festival plannend months ahead, that same day. Something clicked, and we never really stopped..

How we ended up in South Africa (together)

Fast forward through countless memories and late-night talks, my plan was set: I was going back to South Africa in January 2025. I often make plans without waiting to see who’s joining me. If no one comes, that’s fine. As long as I get to return to Africa.

Something about the continent has had a hold on me ever since my dad took me to Ghana in 2008. We returned a few times after that. But it wasn’t until 2021 that I first set foot in South Africa, a spontaneous weekend trip during Covid, tagging along with a friend who was a stewardess. I fell in love instantly. I couldn’t quite explain it, but I felt deeply at home. There was something in the air, in the people, in the land i pull I still can’t put into words.

Traveling during Covid wasn’t exactly smart, and the second time I went, the Omicron variant canceled all my flights. Stranded and 21, my dad reached out to an old friend named Kees (someone he had once met on a business trip). Kees and his family welcomed me into their home, and from that moment on, a bond began to grow. I got to know their kids, saw their university, went to school dances, they became part of my story there.

So the plan was simple: I was going back. And when I told Naomi, she said, “Well… why don’t I come with you?” We were close, but six weeks non-stop in a new country? That was something else.

But those six weeks changed everything. We didn’t just fall for the place, we fell into rhythm. With each other, with the people, with the country.

South Africa had us. And we didn’t want to leave.