Where were you this time last year?

One year ago today (well, it was today when I started to write this post a week ago, it still counts), I landed in the UK, backpack in hand without a plan.

I've been pondering on how best to sum up my first year abroad.

Unexpected is a word that keeps popping up! I could never have predicted the way things went over the past 12 months! Dunno what I expected, but it wasn't this, and it certainly wasn't WeZ! 

From delightful sun-shining days driving the Irish coast... 

 

to whacked out weeks of homesickness and boredom.. 

my year was packed with new extremes!
 

England, Ireland, Poland, Amsterdam, Iceland, Wales.
It was a muddy, foreign, dreadlocked, European, emotional, music filled year with the best friend I could ever ask for by my side. 
(To pick a few appropriate photos is impossible. I have hundreds!)

     

             
               

I met Wez only 2 weeks into my 'single voyage'.

Denial was the aim of my game for the first while. It took me a long time to realise and accept that a partner could float my boat rather than anchor it. (yep, getting metaphorical) Spooning a few (thousand) buckets of emotional baggage out along the way, myself and WeZ embraced our connection and sailed through an epic year of booze, sun, rain, laughs, tears, live music, fun and mayhem.

V was also a huge part of my year.

 We drank together, lived together, drank together, drank together and lived out of each others wardrobes right up 'til the day she left! Was great sharing in her life here.

Not a day passes that I don't miss my family and mates down in Aus. I've met alot of awesome people this side of the world, but having so little of 'my people' within reach of a hangout was a steep and surprisingly tricky adjustment for me. (still is somedays!)
Last week, the library girls back home sent me some love for my one year anniversary!

 Wowee, lucky me! I was like a kid at Christmas.
This is one of several packages I've ever so fortunately received over the past year.
And to their senders I THANK-YOU with all my might!
Although just 'things', the affect they've had on my time here has been heart felt. Between you guys and mates that still have a sheds full of my shit and cars... I'm so lucky to know such amazin' people!


Aside from the obvious, I still crave silly simple things... Dimsims, McChicken sauce, cruising in my beautiful baby with a bit of Toto and Daryl blaring in the sun! Ahh, yes please!! 

The Aussie lifestyle is something I think suits me. This year has taught me (among other things) that the UK rain, trains, gloom 'n' doom isn't something I'll ever live with long term.
Despite that feeling, this place still serves me a huge purpose. There are countless festivals and hundreds of countries still on the to do list!

So now, a year down, I'm coasting for a while. I have a 'normal' 35hr a wk job in the local Theatre (which I love). I'ma plod along there for a while whilst I wish along spring/summer time, see the odd gig and enjoy WeZ's company in between. Too easy!

 

I 101% don't regret leaving Aus. 
It was an inevitable move that bought me an epic year I'll never forget.

Here's cheers to the next one, wherever it may lead!