I ran away with the circus (and launched The Elita La Vie Approach)
What a year.
Not one marked by the calendar, but by transformation. A 10 month blur of grief and joy, of endings and beginnings, of packing up our lives and running straight into the unknown.
It all started in August 2024 when my friend and I finally walked Hadrian’s Wall with some loved ones along for the ride - a dream more than 15 years in the making. We crossed the width of the UK on foot, laughing through the sore knees, period pain, and middle-aged groans. We were no longer sprightly teens, but we did it. Side by side.
Walking Hadrian’s Wall path
My husband and I had been living in a limbo period and as we walked, we started talking about what’s next. We'd been saving for a sabbatical, yet life always found some grown-up reason to put it off. But that day, watching the horizon stretch ahead of us, we both knew.
It was now or never.
So I said the words out loud:
“I think we should go to South America this year.”
We’d be missing Christmas, the first without my Dad, which was no small thing. But with my mum’s blessing, our time off approved, and our hearts set, we booked it.
The next few months flew by in a blur of planning, packing and list-making. And just like that, we were off to the Galápagos.
Soaking it all up in the Galapagos
That’s when life really took a turn.
On the first day of my sabbatical, I found out I was being made redundant. My job was going.
And just a few days later, my husband was invited to interview for Cirque du Soleil. Yes - the actual circus.
Turns out, if you ignore the universe for long enough, it starts shouting.
I’ve always been a planner, and I still am, but this experience has opened my eyes to the beauty of not having it all mapped out. The unpredictability of life is part of its magic. And sometimes, it hands you something better than you could’ve planned for.
Spoiler alert: he got the job.
And just like that, the plot twist became our new reality. It was an opportunity to live life a little differently if we wanted to take the leap.
And we did!
That was the end of the surprises. The rest of the trip went exactly to plan: great adventures, breathtaking scenery, lake swims, unforgettable wildlife encounters. The kind of trip I know I’ll be talking about for the rest of my life.
Taquile Island - Lake Titicaca, Peru
One day, on a quiet square, my husband and I sat, letting the time pass us by and he asked
‘What’s next for you?’
And that is where Elita La Vie came back to life.
I’d been shaping it quietly for years — almost five, if I’m honest. I knew it worked. I was living proof, but it wasn’t until I stepped away from the noise of ‘normal life’ that I realised how much I wanted to share it with others.
And from talking about it for years, it has only taken me a few months to get here. Time is different when you’re betting on yourself. All the hours I never thought I had, were waiting for me when I got home.
I had three months once we got home to close the previous chapter. Wrap up life in the UK. Support my husband as he stepped into circus life. Decide to back myself. Finish building one business while launching another (hi, Vegan Con Carne!). And then, finally, pack my own bags and join him.
Now, I’m five weeks into this new life. Writing this on a train from Milan to Trieste, watching the Italian countryside roll by, wondering how I got here — and so grateful that I did.
Celebrating getting to this moment in life
This year has been wild and wonderful and deeply healing. I’ve grown more than I ever thought possible. I’ve learned to stop waiting for the right time. I’ve learned that sometimes your dreams just need space - and a little courage to come to life.
So here we are.
Elita La Vie is finally out in the world.
It’s a method, a mindset, a way forward for anyone feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just a little lost. It’s about building real momentum, even when life is messy. It’s everything I used to create a life I genuinely love - one that feels like I’m truly living it.
It’s taken time, but I believe it has arrived exactly when it was meant to.
This is my journey. And I’m so proud to be sharing it.
I hope you love it.
Have fun and sleep well,
Charlene Elita x
