Caroline Bille Brahe
From dream to reality
Our good friend and muse Caroline Bille Brahe has spent many years travelling all over the world as model and – seen from the outside – lived a glamorous life. But what she actually longed for the most in these years was a safe harbor and to feel like a completely normal human being. Today her dream has come true as she has settled with her dream husband Frederik, who also became her first boyfriend, and is now the mother of two. To move from a hectic and glamorous life towards a quiet family life was a conscious choice for Caroline:
“Long before I became a mother I longed for another life and a break from my hectic model career. I started working as a model at 14 and worked nonstop until I turned 21. In these years I only came home twice a month. In fact, it made me feel very insecure as I was never able to plan anything.
I often got a message saying that I had 10 minutes to pack my things before leaving for the airport to catch a flight. Before I met Frederik, I never had a real boyfriend as I was so busy working and travelling. I had a great need to live my life as a completely normal human being,” says Caroline.
One thing is to return to Denmark and a safe harbor, another thing is to become a mother, not only once but recently for the second time. Has there been any surprises related to having her second child?
“Well, as we already had Sonya, I thought I knew exactly what to do. But I was wrong. In fact, it was quite a shock to me to have my second child. To raise two children is not double as hard. It is four times as hard, I think.”
“I was not able to be together with my daughter in the same intense way as before and it was difficult to share my love equally to both of them. It made me feel guilty all the time. It also made me feel sad. My mother-in-law recently said to me that I should rather enjoy my children instead of feeling guilty. She is so very right,” says Caroline who had a baby with colic in the first couple of months which did not make the new situation easier.
There is no doubt that Caroline’s life has taken a U-turn after having children. How did a Monday morning look like before she got children and how does it look now?
“Actually, I don´t know what I spent the hours on before I got children,” she says smiling. “I would usually wake up around 8 o’clock. Then I would take a shower and afterwards head for Frederik’s restaurant Atelier September where we would drink a coffee before he would go to work. Then I would go to the gym and afterwards go for a walk or visit some friends, unless I had work to do. I had plenty of time. Now my Monday starts at 6 o’clock as I breastfeed our little son Axel while Frederik and Sonya eat breakfast. When Sonya has left for nursery and while Alex is taking his first nap, I start to clean the kitchen. Afterwards I will usually go for a walk with the little one. I really like the rhythm in everyday life.”
Caroline still works as a model, but she is very careful when selecting a job:
“In general I only travel abroad when it makes sense to travel as a family. When I have a job abroad, Frederik is very good at taking care of the children in the meantime. On the other hand, I take much care of the children in our everyday life as Frederik is very busy with his three restaurants and bakery. I think we are very good at helping each other with our careers,” says Caroline who has to find a new balance.
“My life is so different now and I have to figure out how to balance between motherhood and my model career. I need to adjust to the new situation.”
Well, we are curious. What does Caroline appreciate the most in her new life – and what does she miss the most from her old life?
“I really appreciate the stability and calmness in my life. This is how I thrive best. Without calmness I get insecure. So it suits me really well to live like this.”
”Once in a while I miss to wake up in a nice hotel instead of waking up to diapers and a messy apartment. But I won’t change my current life for anything else.”
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