Wagga Wagga to Worcestershire & back again
When I was living in England I quickly became aware of the humble coat-rack. Every house I visited seemed to have one near or around the front door. Some were free standing, others were nailed to the wall but all had a collections of ‘water-proofs’, down filled puffers or boiled wool pea coats, ready and waiting for whenever you left the house…
When Adam and I moved back to Australia one of our first purchases was a new sofa. It’s one of those pieces of furniture you end up using so very much, so we wanted it to a) be super comfortable and b) reflect the style and vision we had for our home together.
After a day or so trawling furniture stores across the Canberra, the one we both decided we liked the best ended up being from that famous Swedish superstore ;).
We got it back to Wagga Wagga, assembled it and threw on the cushions from our existing sofa. While they didn’t look bad, the cushions were years old and had started to enter that ‘pancake’ stage. I vowed I was going to replace them and this past weekend I finally got around to giving the lounge that little bit of love it deserves…
It’s been a very quiet couple of days in our household, on account of a long working week for me (I’m on day seven and cannot wait for the weekend!) and some troublesome, emerging wisdom teeth for Adam.
When the monotony of the work-eat-sleep schedule gets me down I try really hard to be aware of all the ‘little things’ in my life that bring me joy every single day. It’s a nice way to take stock and remember, that there is beauty and wonder all around us.
So, here are three things making me smile this week…
A little over 24 hours ago Adam, his mum, step-dad and my brother landed in sunny Queensland and made our selves comfortable at my parent’s house.
It’s been around seven months since all of us have been in the same room together and it’s the first time Adam and I have seen my folks since arriving back in Australia.
So far it’s been a whirlwind of cuddles and conversations as we celebrate a holiday, an engagement, and an impending wedding all in one.
Adam and I have travelled very light on this break, as we left quite a few things at my parent’s house before moving abroad. I can’t really recall what – so instead of throwing a few random things in my bag and hoping it’d match up with what was waiting for me in Queensland, I decided to use my recent 10 x 10 challenge to help me pack…
Continue reading “The suitcase guide: Mackay & the Whitsundays”
When Adam and I decided to move back to Australia, the biggest hurdle we had to overcome was visas. While I could happily return to my country of birth without any concerns, for Adam the process was always going to be a little trickier…
Being in an international relationship is a really wonderful thing. Two people from opposites sides of world happen to meet and connect. They realise that although their life experiences are different, they’ve got a huge amount in common and a shared outlook on what they want in the future. Sometimes I feel like I was destined to meet Adam. Small decisions from years gone past, triumphs and tribulations were all part of the process that was leading me towards that initial ‘hello’.
International relationships are also hard – thankfully for Adam and I it didn’t involve long-distance dating – but there are generally visas, extended family, friends, and work -life balance to consider.
For most of 2017 Adam and I have been trying to work out what we want over the next few years, and over the next few weeks we’re about to embark on the next chapter in our adventure…
The older I get, the more I’ve come to savour and enjoy being housebound for the day. In years gone by staying put and purposely choosing not to go out seemed anti-social and a bit of waste, but now the ability to hide away for 24 hours seems a luxury.
In the last week or so, both Adam and I have succumbed to our second dose of of winter sickness (methinks perhaps neither of us actually fully recovered from our first bout of sniffles, coughs and chills in February). That combined with busy work and full on travel schedules has meant it’s been weeks since either of had the opportunity to just spend a day at home.
It’s been close to five months since stopped working as a journalist. Taking a break 10 years into my career so I could move to England was once of the scariest decisions I think I’ve made. I had a good job that paid well, worked with a wonderful team and enjoyed what I did. Why leave all of that?
I was never one of those kids who dreamed of being a reporter, I sort fell into journalism. My year 11 English teacher had suggested I investigate a degree in journalism. It seemed interesting so I applied and got accepted into my university of choice to study for a Bachelor of Journalism. It was only perhaps half way through my first year of that degree that I knew that I’d made the right decision. I got such a buzz from writing under deadline. Researching, interviewing and penning stories gave me a thrill like I’d never experienced before.
Wattle and Ash 