One Year.

I may have been somewhat absent from these pages for longer than I ever thought possible (the less said on that the better), but I felt a return to mark my one year anniversary in Australia was a fitting time. Can you bloody believe it?

It still blows my mind to think that it was over a year ago that I set off with my life packed into two suitcases on an unknown adventure. The time has flown by so fast, and I’m incredibly proud of everything I’ve achieved in the last year. It’s not been without some ups and downs, but on the whole I’ve been incredibly lucky with how seamless this journey has been. I’ve changed jobs twice, changed visas, and with that has come some stress, but I’ve also made some wonderful friends, live in a beautiful house and have added a menagerie of animals to my life (more on that soon).

I had always wanted to experience living in another country, and I can’t recommend taking the plunge enough. I tell people all the time to give it a go, there is really nothing to lose (if you hate it, go back) – but it is such an enriching, exciting and fun experience. It’s a fresh start, a chance to expand your friendships, to experience a new way of life, and in my case – new weather conditions (hello 40+ degree weather!).

I’ve hardly had a chance to touch the surface of all the exploring I’d like to do, both within Australia and outside – I definitely thought I’d have done more at this stage but life and settling into a routine really does get in the way. My desire hasn’t faltered though, and now that I’ve got my ducks nicely aligned, I really plan to make more of my weekends and explore more where I can – there is so much more to do and see and I’d hate to miss out on the opportunities on my doorstep.

As it happens, I’ve got my flights booked back for late December to go home and spend some much needed time with my family and friends. I miss London often, and am so excited to go home and see my loved ones – it will have been 18 months since I last saw my family by the time I return, but I know I’ll also be excited to get back to Melbourne. My home – for now anyway.