Melissa Gatt is an incredibly inspiring woman who is making her own home away from home. Melissa is a long way from Cape Town, so she starts this podcast by giving us all the details about how she ended up in Malta. Scroll down to listen to the full podcast.
‘I went to France to work on super yachts, and I never knew Malta existed. I needed a flatmate, and someone told me that a captain was looking for one. That captain was Daniel, who is now my husband. I was a newbie in the yachting world, and I was finding it difficult to get a job. Daniel had the authority to hire so, one day, I slipped my CV into a suitcase before he left!’
Melissa had just gotten out of a relationship when she met Daniel and she jokingly tells us that, at the time, Daniel was not even her type.
‘I wasn’t looking for a relationship but when we started to work together, we started to get to know each other a little bit better. He turned into my surfer-looking dude! Daniel is half-Maltese; his dad is Maltese, and his mother is Scottish. She moved to Malta for Daniel’s dad and, I guess, history has a way of repeating itself!’
Almost tearfully, Melissa tells us that she misses everything about South Africa, every second.
‘My country has a lot of bad but the good outweighs it. The people, the culture, the nature. I just miss how diverse it is. I love the feeling of getting into the car and, within a few hours, you can be in a completely different set-up. The people are the best and the worst of the country.’
What we loved most about Melissa is that she is not one for sugar-coating. Melissa admits that she has been struggling to adapt in Malta also, as a new mum with three children under the age of five.
‘I have been struggling for a while here. Missing home is challenging, and I miss my family so much. But I love feeling safe here. I love that we can go to the beach and that we can sail here’.
Switching things up to motherhood, Melissa claims that no one can prepare you for its hardships.
‘When you become a mum, you have such a huge responsibility. You have to give up your life for a few years, especially in the beginning. I struggled with this a lot after Savannah, my first-born. It’s tougher now with the twins because I can see that all children need my attention, but I don’t have time for them individually. I physically cannot pick them up all at the same time. Having twins was definitely an adjustment; we had to change cars and move house.’
However, being a mother is incredibly rewarding.
‘Sometimes I look at the children and cannot believe that they are ours. I have all of this love to give, and they give it back to you as well. I never wanted a big family but now I cannot see it any other way!’
Mum guilt is something that Melissa, and most mothers, struggle with during motherhood and raising their children.
‘I put so much pressure and expectations on myself. I had to let go because I just couldn’t do it anymore. It was affecting my mental health and I did find myself sometimes that it was getting a little bit too much for me. I think that motherhood is very romanticised. Don’t be afraid to say that you’re having a crap day. Take it the way that it comes and don’t put so much pressure on yourself.’
Apart from family life, Melissa is also a social media influencer, or as she likes to call it, a blogger. However, this doesn’t stir away from her life at, all since her main focus is solely to post on her family and lifestyle so that other mums can relate.
‘It all started when I found out I was pregnant with Savannah. I wanted to connect with like-minded people and chat with people who had the same interests as me. I felt that the best way to connect was through Instagram and write about my life on my website. Right after I had Savannah, I went into a massive health kick. I was really interested in vegan cooking. That went on for around a year and a half. Then, a few people wanted to see the face behind the food. I feel like that’s when it started to take off.’
Melissa is not interested about the number of followers or following a strict posting schedule. On the contrary, she’s looking for a connection with people and showing her true and authentic self, along with posting about her family life and their adventures together.
However, although social media is a very powerful tool, it can also be deceiving.
‘I think the emphasis on social media is a bit too big. We are constantly checking likes and followers. We are in front of our phones too much and I’m guilty of this as well. In fact, I had to switch off my notifications because I want to be aware of how much time I spend on my phone. You need to be careful with social media because, what you see, is not always true. I won’t show you when I had a fight with Daniel – I keep that private. Behind all of the beautiful photos, people can be struggling. People need to understand that what is posted on social media is not 100%. It’s simply a highlight of people’s lives.’
Thank you, Melissa for a truly honest and open conversation on this podcast. We can always count on Island Mumma to say the things that need to be said! Listen to the full podcast below.
