About me

Welcome to Erica’s Empty Nest!  I live in Somerset West in the beautiful Western Cape of South Africa. As my own nest began to empty I developed an interest in other empty nesters. I wanted to know more about how they were coping, what they were enjoying and how their lives had changed.

My son, Matthew, is 27 and he has a degree in Computer Science.  He is working hard at establishing his career. My daughter, Caitlin, who recently turned 21, is at university in her 3rd year. She is passionate about becoming a psychologist. My ex-husband and I were married for 32 years and for most of those years the four of us were a solid family unit. However, we ran into serious financial difficulties and my husband was forced to take a job far away from home. This ended in divorce, hence my focus on living alone, without the company of a husband.

My ex-husband was an extrovert and people often remarked that our house was just like a railway station with all the people coming and going. I, on the other hand, am more of an introvert. It was a great shock to my system when my house emptied over a period of two and a half years. In the place of loud music, doors slamming, barking, arguing and laughter, there was complete and utter silence.

I have had a number of jobs over the years such as teacher, sub-editor of a local newspaper and owner of a graphic design business. However, for about 20 years I helped my husband run his construction business as this seemed to be in the best interests of my family.

I have spent the last few years trying to readjust to the many changes in my life. I have had to rediscover myself and redefine my role and purpose in life. I would like to share with others some of the things I have learned along the way about how to make a deafening silence into a meaningful one. I am slowly learning to not only survive but thrive in my empty nest!