February 28th, 2023
I’m a bit late on this one. I wanted to write this in January but better late than never, I thought I would reflect on 2022. I’ve never thought it was important to look back on what has been and only important to look forward to what’s next. But by looking back, you realise that who you were a year ago, is not the person you are today.
For a long time, I had wanted to travel. I’d wanted to travel to Canada in 2020 but COVID. I was going to travel and volunteer in Southern Africa in 2021 but COVID. Then, at the end of 2021, Australia finally announced they were reopening their borders. I had always been very drawn to Australia – the lifestyle and activities you can do have been appealing to me for years. I debated whether it was for me, there was a lot going through my head. Would I enjoy myself? Would I make friends out there? A year is a long time to be away, what will happen when I go? What if this happens? What if that happens?
At the start of 2022, I was working as a receptionist/administrator at a GP Surgery. Work had been pretty hectic over the last 2 years as you can imagine, we all went through the pandemic. I’d just had 3 weeks off over Christmas and New Year, and although I had been on holiday and had quality time with my family, I went back to work exhausted. Exhausted and bored. Looking back, I didn’t really have much of a life. I’d go to work, go home, watch tv, sleep and repeat. I didn’t really have a social life, I didn’t go out much, and I felt a bit trapped to be completely honest. Like I’d hit a dead end. I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t who I wanted to be. Surely there was more to life, right?
So I did it. On January 25th 2022, I applied for my visa. My neighbours probably questioned what all the happy shouting and screaming was when less than a minute after hitting the submit button, my visa was granted. This is it. Time to get serious and do the thing you’ve wanted to do for most of your life. I booked my flights and booked on to a welcome tour (that solved the making friends question and put myself and my family at ease, I think).
After doing all the practical stuff leading up to the trip. I thought I’d start a blog. I have always liked the thought of being a travel writer. I also read a lot of blogs and watch a lot of vlogs, really this is how I research places to go and stuff to do. So it made sense, even if it was just my family and friends that read it, to start a blog.
Then it was time for the big day. On May 13th 2022, I landed in Sydney, Australia. It was pretty overwhelming. I’d finally done it. I made it to Australia. I was in one of the most iconic places in the world. I felt like I had been waiting for this moment for my entire life. The first time seeing the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge brought tears to my eyes, this was it. The start of an incredible adventure.
So since landing in Australia I have done a lot. I’ve made great friends, been to the Opera House, hiked in mountains, hiked to a lighthouse, saw lots of migrating whales, visited Australia Zoo, kayaked in one of two Everglades systems in the world, scuba dived with sharks, camped on Fraser Island, sailed in the Whitsundays, swam in waterfalls, walked through the oldest rainforest in the world, dived the Great Barrier Reef, lived in Bondi for 6 months, worked at Sydney Sealife Aquarium, had Christmas on Bondi Beach and welcomed in 2023 with the most epic firework display I have ever seen. It’s been a year. I am so grateful and so happy to have fulfilled so many things I had on my bucket list. I have so many stories to tell along with thousands of photos and epic memories.
So what’s the plan for 2023? I don’t really know. In January I made the decision to leave Sydney behind and moved to Perth where I am currently working as an Au Pair. I’ll be heading home to the UK in May when my visa ends. Currently, the visa arrangements for UK passport holders are imminently going to change so I plan on working at home for the rest of 2023 so I can save money before heading back out to Australia in 2024. I’ve got a few things planned for Europe such as Coronation Weekend in London, a friend’s wedding in Germany and family trips here and there.
I am far happier, far more confident, and definitely more me and who I want to be. Here’s to the rest of this year and may it be as cracking as 2022.
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