Back in Australia

It’s been just over a week since I arrived back in Australia and wow has that time flown by!

It’s been a whirlwind of jetlag, coping with southern hemisphere heat again and unpacking the house Adam and I left behind in Wagga Wagga back in October 2016…

We’ve been smiling at small things, like the sight of galahs picking at grass seeds on the edge of the road or the smell of eucalyptus trees in a downtown carpark – so fragrant in the dry and dusty heat.

It’s quite surreal to be back in our old stomping ground once again. It feels like we never left, but at the same time like we’ve been away for so long. Things look so familiar yet we’ve changed so much. It’ll be interesting to see if we fall back into old habits and routines, or if we’ll forge new ones reflecting our experiences of the last 15 months or so.

We’ve had such a warm welcome home – invitations for dinner, tight hugs and genuine smiles. It’s really lovely and makes it easier to bear the sadness of being away from those we love back in England.

I must admit it’s a bit of a relief to unpack suitcases and settle down.  Adam and I traveled so much during our last few months in the U.K., and while we loved every minute of it and got to see and experience some amazing places, I’m really looking forward to ‘nesting’ over the next few months and turning our house back into a home again.

We’re slowly finding our Australian feet again, but with a bit of a British twist.  More than once we’ve referred to products in pounds, rather than dollars, but there are Queensland grown mangoes in the fridge and McVitie’s chocolate Digestives in the pantry. I think Adam and I are now a unique fusion of Australia and England – creating our own little culture, mixing the best of both hemispheres, into our every day.

For now it’s all about baby-steps and getting through each day at a time. There is still so much to do, but it’s all about prioritising and ensuring we don’t burn out.

Have a safe and happy New Year and I look forward to sharing a few things I have planned for the blog in 2018, with you next week.

x.