I always find it unnervingly odd to write about myself. Simply saying “Erm….i’m just…me…”  seems a bit of a cop out so I am going to actually attempt to do myself a bit of justice here.

First of all I come from the best country in the world! South Africa. We have mostly sunny skies, gorgeous beaches, biltong, boerewors, Ouma Rusks, craploads of culture everywhere and Casper De Vries. These are things I cannot live without. My mom’s an American but as much as I love being a bit of a half-breed, South Africa will always be my home and I will love and defend her forever.

All my life I have wanted to be a writer. I’ve always had a bit of a love-affair with words and the obsession has grown drastically over the years. This blog is pretty much a testament to that fact.  I used to write poems and stories all the time as a kid and I plan to continue for a  long time. It’s only recently that I’ve become brazen enough to actually call myself a writer. I’ve always been pretty shy about it. I guess with age comes the bravery we need to actually be true to the things that we love.

In my real life I am a single mom to the most gorgeous little boy on the planet. And yes, there’s a bias there obviously, but he really IS the most beautiful thing. Really. I won’t be lame and tell you that “everything I do is for him” – because that’s just stupid. But he is the love of my life and has taught me much about myself in the short time that we have been together. He makes being a writer damn near impossible and constantly needs my attention which on occasion drives me nuts, but I have learnt to just go along with it when he needs me and it all works out just fine. Books can be written one sentence at a time if they  must be.

Everything in my life has been done backwards. I got married at twenty one, divorced at twenty five and was pregnant by twenty six. Noah’s dad left after four months of playing “man of the house” . But that’s ok. We’re both better for it and he does right by his son even though we’re not together anymore. Sometimes the only way to find your strengths is to go it alone.

Right now I find myself on the brink of actually being a writer. Perhaps it’s not the same for everyone, but for me something seems to have finally clicked into place. My first book is done and dusted. I have another on the way. I even suddenly find myself with oodles of confidence in my own poetry, and even more so in my ideas. I have even started a new website called The Katalina Playroom and hope that it will grow into a safe haven for writers all over the world. On a small scale I would like to create a place where writers can come together and share what it is to be a writer, their writing and their ideas. After starting The Poetry Project I encountered a bit of a passion within myself to help others who, like me, can’t seem to get away from the writer who insists on being released.

Lastly – I have a new family. One big giant fiancé (it’s rather awesome being with someone I can wear heels with!) and two half-pint squiggle kids. Quite the change from single mom-dom but we’re getting there. It’s an adjustment of note and comes with many unique nightmares but it means I get to be with the most incredible person I have ever met. Seems a pretty fair trade.

That’s me in a nutshell. A big nutshell….