From Passenger Seat to Your Own Office

A few weeks back, I posted a story on Instagram about overcoming a seven-year-long mental block I had around driving. From the age of about 25 to 32, I barely drove a car. I had a driver’s license, I was fully qualified - but after a minor accident and a harsh reaction from my ex-partner at the time, I just… stopped. Over time, the fear grew in my mind. Eventually, I got to the point where, when someone asked, I’d simply say, I don’t drive. Period.

It took years - and a lot of patience, encouragement, and support from my husband - to get me back behind the wheel. Even now, the old fears occasionally return, especially when I’m driving in a foreign country or sitting beside someone who (at least in my head) doubts my ability to do it.

Wondering how I'm going to find a parking place in Zurich haha

But what surprised me most was this: after sharing my story on Instagram, so many women reached out. Online and offline, I heard from people who also felt “blocked” when it came to driving - even though they had licenses, even though they used to drive. And the common thread wasn’t really about confidence or skill. More often than not, the conversation ended with something like: I think it would be different if I had a car of my own.

That stuck with me.

It’s not that their partners intentionally withheld the car — in most cases, the “family car” was there, available to share ahnd get to places. But something about autonomy was missing. Something about ownership. About having full agency to say: I’m going here now, without negotiation or justification, but with unwavering confidence.

Virginia Woolf once wrote: “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” The line has echoed across generations, a reminder of how economic independence and private space are deeply tied to creative and intellectual freedom.And maybe - just maybe - a “car of one’s own” fits into that same category. A literal or symbolic vehicle that allows you to move from point A to point B in your own seat, not just as a passenger.

Some days, that vehicle looks like an actual car. On others, it’s a closed door to a quiet room while working from home. A small, sacred space where no one asks anything of you - where you can breathe more deeply, gather your thoughts, and feel at home in your body.

That’s what I’m learning to claim for myself right now: space, movement, autonomy.

Sure, there’s something lovely about being the “passenger princess.” But it’s also incredibly satisfying - even empowering - to know you can take the driver’s seat. Or at the very least, have the option to.

Here are a few things that have resonated with me lately — sharing in case you’d like to explore them too. Take good care of yourselves, folks xoxox

• Baked oatmeal is a new breakfast staple in my house - here is a sample recipe, I usually use greek yoghurt (no milk) and no baking powder.

• I planted dhalias in my garden last week and if you need inspiration / guidelines, please have a look at this video from the lady I just adore

• Currently obsessed with these earrings from the Georgian designer!