What goes on tour, stays on tour!

Our trip to the States had been planned for at least 2 years - and for the other 20 people going it had been planned for 10 years. Back when we first started talking about it we thought it was so far away, and then all of a sudden it was this year. 

Apart from Fiji for my 21st I hadn't been on any other overseas trips, so as you can imagine I was pretty excited.

The main purpose for the trip was to celebrate our aunty's 50th birthday in Las Vegas. And I got the exciting job of helping plan the surprise wedding for our aunty and uncle which was to take place on our aunty's birthday. Apart from the bride and groom, there were only 3 of us that knew about the wedding which was very exciting. I love planning things, whether it be holidays, weekends away or events, so I really enjoyed researching and contacting people in America to organise the wedding.  

We flew to LA on our 5 year anniversary. The dates just happened to fit in so it was definitely a cool way to celebrate. Our first stop was the Hollywood Sign. Standing at the Griffith Observatory and looking out at the Sign was surreal. I've seen the Sign many times on TV and in movies, but to actually be there and see it in person was an incredible feeling.  

We had one night in Santa Monica which we loved. The Santa Monica Pier at night is beautiful and such a fun place to hang out. Scotty did the Santa Monica Marathon and I did the Half Marathon while we were there. It was a very low key event, but great fun to be part of a race in a different country. We spent a few hours at Venice Beach which was such a vibrant place with people everywhere and something different happening wherever you looked. 

We then spent 5 nights in Vegas. What can I say... Vegas was out of this world! Stepping out onto the strip, the heat would hit you, there were flashing lights and people everywhere. People were drinking on the streets and having the time of their lives. It was such an amazing place, with so much to see and do, there just weren't enough hours in the day. We were on the go from first thing in the morning until after midnight every night. There wasn't much time to sleep. And this was for someone that doesn't even drink. We tried to fit as much as we could into the five days, exploring the strip and lots of different casinos, a girls night cruising the strip in a stretch hummer, a fun-filled day and night doing lots of adventure activities, the 50th birthday and surprise wedding and a trip to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. 

Suffice to say by the time we left for 3 nights alone in San Fran, we were ready to slow down the pace a little. San Fran was beautiful and had such an alternative culture with very laid back people. We had a fantastic time exploring the city and some beautiful beaches along the coast. Riding over the Golden Gate Bridge was definitely a highlight - it was another one of those surreal moments. A trip to Alcatraz was a must-do and we learnt a lot about the prison and ex-convicts. We are really looking forward to getting back to San Fran and spending a bit more time there. 

Next stop was San Diego for 4 nights where we met back up with some of our family. San Diego was different again, with a fantastic Maritime Museum and the best zoo I've ever been to. I loved that every city we went to had something new and different to offer. We travelled around all day on a $7 public transport ticket which was awesome and something you couldn't do in Perth, and got a fully guided tour out to Point Loma by one of the local bus drivers. He didn't have to say anything, but because he loved the area he wanted to point out different things to see along the way. We went to our first baseball game which was a very cool American experience. Old Town San Diego is a mini Mexico and had fantastic Mexican restaurants with cheap tacos and margaritas. And Gaslamp Quarter was full of bars and restaurants - a fantastic place to go for a meal and wander around at night. 

From there we flew up to Alaska with our aunty and uncle. This is what Scotty had been waiting for. Two weeks travelling around in an RV with two of our favourite people was a once in a lifetime experience. We saw incredible landscapes and wildlife and got to experience some magnificent snowfalls. They were having a late winter so all the rivers and lakes were frozen solid which was an incredible sight. We travelled as far north as the RV would let us and as far south as we could before hitting the water. Speaking to people that live in Alaska was such a great experience. Hearing about how they survive through minus 40 degree winters and how much the landscape changes from season to season was very interesting. We will definitely be heading back to Alaska to experience a summer and a winter over there. 

After Alaska it was time to start the long journey home. Flying with Virgin was definitely worth the extra money. We had great in-flight food and entertainment and quick stop-overs on the east coast. Although I must admit, it has made me a bit of a snob when it comes to flying now and I don't think I'll go back to budget airlines for long haul flights if I can help it.  

The whole trip was beyond incredible. We saw some amazing places and made everlasting memories with friends and family. We met so many fantastic Americans that taught us a lot about their culture and the way they live. Before going to America I must admit I didn't have the best impression of Americans, but after being there for just one day we saw how incredibly nice and friendly they all are. We would comment every day on the friendliness we'd experienced. I think the reason I had the misconception that Americans were rude is because I had only witnessed them when they were on holidays in Australia, and unfortunately the service and level of hospitality over here is nowhere near as high as in America, which in turn would mean they weren't satisfied with how they were treated and therefore made them seem grumpy all the time. I'll be the first to admit that I came back from America with a much higher standard of what I expected from the hospitality industry than I used to have. Of course the fact that in America they work for tips means it's in their best interest to offer a high standard of service, but it's so much more than that. They love their jobs, they are passionate about what they are doing and they always want to chat and ask about your life to get to know the people they are dealing with. This made our whole trip so much more interesting and enjoyable. 

Overseas travel isn't a passion for everyone, but if it is one of your dreams to see more of the world then I highly recommend doing it. There are so many places to see and so many different people to meet and cultures to immerse yourself in. I believe you can learn so much from travelling about how other people live and the different lifestyles people have. You can take this knowledge and use it to make the best out of your own life. And you can teach other people about different experiences you've had which they can then learn from. 

"He who has the most experiences, wins!"

In March this year we travelled to Rotorua, NZ for Scotty to compete in the Vibram Tarawera 100km Ultra. He was accepted as an elite athlete to compete against some of the best ultra runners in the world, which was a huge accomplishment so early on in his running career. This was going to be his biggest race to date and a chance to meet some of the ultra runners he looks up to. 

From the very first flight we realised it was going to be 'one of those trips' but didn't quite realise how far wrong it would all go. Each time something seemed to go our way, it ended up backfiring. We were seated in row 2 on our first flight so thought we'd be one of the first people off, only to arrive on the Gold Coast and be told that we were getting off through the rear door. After arriving in Auckland and hiring a car we had to navigate our way with a road map as quickly as possible to Rotorua. We thought we would have just enough time to get there for the fun run with some of the elite athletes which I had been looking forward to. Unfortunately we'd forgotten how long it takes to drive on the roads in NZ and with a lot of roadworks thrown in we arrived about 15 minutes late, missing the fun run. After doing our own run through the beautiful Redwood Forest we went and checked into our hotel. We were excited to hear that they'd upgraded us to a spa room, only to end up in fits of laughter when we discovered that the 'spa' was a single person bath with jets. 

We had a great couple of days in Rotorua, running, eating out and looking around the place, in between media commitments and race registration. My great friend Sarah drove down on Friday night to spend Saturday with us and help support crew. It's lovely having friends that will do whatever they can to spend time with you, and I cherish those friendships. Scotty's dad and uncle also flew up from Christchurch to help support crew for the race. 

To cut a long story short, the race didn't go at all to plan and Scotty was pulled from the race after 65kms. The doctor wouldn't let him carry on due to uncontrollably vomiting because of a severe gastro/viral condition. Up until this point he had been in the front group running with some of the top ultra runners in the world. 

Meanwhile, we were waiting at the aid station for him to come through after not seeing him for about 5 hours. When my name was called over the PA and I was told that he'd been pulled out of the race my heart stopped. They couldn't tell me why or give me any other information other than that he was no longer in the race and was being taken by boat across the lake to another aid station. 

After a very panicked drive we finally got to where they'd taken him. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see him in my life. We then had some quick decisions to make, which wasn't that easy when our main focus was Scotty's health. I was supposed to be driving back to Auckland with Sarah that night and Scotty was taking a later flight and would take the hire car the following morning after prize giving (at least one of us had to get back to work to keep paying the bills!) Scotty was in no condition to be driving back to Auckland, and he is bad enough at flying as it is without having to travel by himself in the state he was in. 

We had to change all of our plans which meant letting the others down that had travelled to be there with us that weekend. One thing I always try to avoid is letting people down. Unfortunately in this situation it was unavoidable and our priority had to be getting Scotty back to Perth in one piece. 

So, we changed his flight to return with me the next morning ($600 later) and we followed Sarah back to her place in Auckland that night. 

Scotty was devastated that his big race had turned out so badly and even though I was feeling terrible about the whole thing, it was up to me to stay positive for the both of us and remind him that there was nothing we could do to change what had happened. We spent a lot of time talking about what had happened and trying to take as many lessons as we could from the experience. 

Life doesn't always go according to plan, but all we can do is stay positive, learn, and grow. I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. I know it's a cliche saying, but I find that it helps me to try and understand things when they don't turn out how I'd hoped or planned. Sometimes the reasons aren't obvious straight away, and sometimes it takes a long time to realise why something had to happen, but eventually everything becomes clear. 

About a week after we arrived back in Perth Scotty was starting to feel like his normal self again and it was time to move on and focus on his next race. 

We met some fantastic people while we were in NZ, some of which Scotty has kept in touch with and one who we met up with while we were in the States. Those friendships might last a lifetime, and for that alone, we can be grateful for our trip to NZ. 

And I got to spend a couple of days with one of my favourite people who I hadn't seen in over 12 months, and for that, I am happy. 

We have no control over what happens in our lives, all we can do is make the best out of every situation and move forward as quickly as possible without dwelling on the past. 

'Life is just one big adventure!' Something I find myself saying quite often when things don't go according to plan. Laugh at the small things and learn from the big things. Try to take something good from every bad situation! 

If you don't like your job, quit!

I once read somewhere, 'If you don't like your job, quit!' It sounds simple enough, but is it really that easy?

Last year I found myself enjoying my job less and less. Getting in my car at the same time every day, driving through traffic to then sit in the same office for 8 hours doing the same work day in day out. I was forever getting in trouble for playing on my phone or being on the internet (always looking up something fun to do or somewhere exciting to go), and 4 weeks annual leave just wasn't cutting it.

But I'd been doing the same job for 6 years, how could I do anything else, and what would I do?

I'd always wanted to travel and see as much of the world as possible, and finally after almost 5 years Scotty felt the same. Up until then he hadn't had much of a desire to travel and all of our trips over the past 5 years had been between Australia and New Zealand to visit family. Don't get me wrong, family is one of the most important things in life, but it's trying to find the right balance between spending time with family and travelling to other parts of the world to fulfil my dream to travel.

When a position came up at Clontarf we thought it was too good to be true. Starting work at 3pm each day, having 3 day weekends and getting 13 weeks annual leave, this was like a dream come true. But then came all the questions... How will I go supervising teenage students, will I be a good mentor, how will I cope when they don't listen to my instructions?

Scotty was sure I would do a great job and worked hard to convince me of the same. (The fact that he wouldn't need to drive into Leederville every day to meet me for lunch anymore was a draw card I'm sure!) Surrounding yourself with positive people that encourage you to take on new challenges helps when faced with big decisions. I was lucky to have the support of my husband and the encouragement from family and friends that it would be a fantastic opportunity for us. You should never try and make big decisions on your own, ask people that are close to you for their opinion and advice and hopefully the decision won't seem as overwhelming.

The next big decision we had to make was about where we would live. They offered us an apartment at Clontarf as part of our package as boarding supervisors. But we'd just spent the last 18 months buying furniture and decorating our house, what would we do with all our stuff? After a lot of discussion and weighing up the pros and cons we decided to take the leap, sell all our furniture and a lot of our belongings and move into the one bedroom apartment. We knew it was going to be a big move and a big adjustment, but in the long run we'd be so much better off. Sometimes it means doing things that might be out of your comfort zone to better your situation, even if they do seem scary and overwhelming at the time.

So, it was a new year and a whole new beginning. We sold all our furniture and gave lots of my kitchen stuff to a family friend who was moving out of home for the first time. It was nice to be able to help someone out by giving her things we didn't need anymore. We have five meals a week at work so didn't really need any cooking/kitchen things, and needed to minimise the amount of things we were going to take to the apartment. It felt liberating downsizing all of our belongings and clearing out so many material things we just didn't need. It gave us a sense of freedom knowing that we weren't tied down with a house full of furniture, and now means that we're in a better position to head overseas when the time is right.

The best advice I can give is that if you're in a job that you don't like or that doesn't suit your lifestyle anymore, then see what else is out there. And try not to let money be the deciding factor in what you choose to do. Take a leap, follow your dreams. We spend so much time each day at work, we need to make sure it's doing something we love. 

My story (the short version)

After being born at home on my mum's bed (turns out I was just far too excited to come into the world), I grew up in a very small country town in WA called Boyup Brook. It would be far too cliche to say I had a tough childhood, but without going into too much detail let's just say it wasn't always rainbows and butterflies. (I never normally share details from my childhood with anyone because I want people to see me for who I am now, not how I grew up, but I do think it's important to include details from my past to show other people that it's possible to overcome challenges and make a better life for yourself.) I might share more on that later, but for now, I'll move on. 

We moved to Esperance, WA when I was 12 and I attended school there until half-way through Year 10 when I decided that there were far more exciting things to be doing than going to school. For about 18 months leading up to this point I became very selfish and would always argue with mum (and anyone else that didn't agree with me). 

After leaving school I spent a couple of months in Perth living with a friend (who is now one of my best). We would go to underage raves in between working two part-time jobs to pay for my new 'exciting life' living away from home. This didn't last long and I was soon back at home rebuilding my relationship with mum, who since then I've been able to share anything with and have felt closer than ever, she's my best friend. I like to think that the couple of months away was exactly what we needed to get passed all the teenage drama and become closer than ever before. And I know mum was more than happy that I was finally starting to grow up and be nicer to her and everyone else. We laugh about it now, but I can only imagine how hard it was for her at the time. 

I spent 12 months in Karratha, WA when I was 17 living with my sister. I really enjoyed getting to know her better as she had gone away to boarding school when I was younger. This was a roller coaster experience with lots of highs and lows. I attended school while I was there and did a course with a group of aboriginal students that involved finishing Year 11 and 12 and completing a Cert II in Travel and Tourism while working part-time at Harvey World Travel. 

After the year was up I moved back to Esperance and then spent the next 18 months living between Esperance and Perth working mainly in bars and partying as much as possible. I spent all my time with people that loved to party, people that now, I know nothing about. I started partying every weekend and then most weeknights too. At the time I didn't see anything wrong with it, I was young and carefree. I was still a very selfish person and just did whatever I wanted to have a good time, and never made much time for family. Or if I did, I'd be so tired from a big night they wouldn't get much value out of the time with me anyway. I know now how much it was hurting my mum to see me like this, but at the time, I had no idea (more on that later). 

When I was 19 I decided to move to NZ to get to know my family over there a bit better. I'd never really had much to do with them until then and was excited about getting to know them. I was also excited about seeing NZ as I'd only been there once before about 2 years earlier for my grandad's 80th birthday. So off I went, with a suitcase and a plastic tub full of belongings, leaving the rest of my things at mum's. It didn't take me long to decide I wanted to stay in NZ once I arrived and decided to get a full time job. (I worked at a law firm on a contract for a few months before moving to a permanent position at another firm where I stayed for almost 4 years. This was by far the most responsible job I'd ever had, and certainly my longest job to date.) I was lucky enough to be able to live in a sleep-out next door to my aunty and uncle's house and have my meals with them and my two cousins. Even then I was too young (not necessarily in age, but certainly in my way of thinking) to really acknowledge and appreciate the hospitality my family were showing me by letting me live with them and the impact I would've been having on their lives. I spent 3 nights a week living with my grandparents in Christchurch as my aunty and uncle live out in Church Bay about a 40 minute drive away. This would've been a huge change for them and at the time I didn't think much of it, but now that I'm older I know the sacrifice they were making of their own time and space to have me there. I'd like to talk more about this later, but for now I'll keep going. 

After being in NZ for 12 months I met Scotty. We could've never known when we first met that we'd fall madly in love and live happily ever after. We started spending most nights together and I moved into a share house with people I met online in Christchurch so that I could be in town full time, and finally giving my family their lives back. I didn't stay there long as the people I lived with were a bit odd and I never felt very welcome. I moved in to Scotty's parents' house for a few months before we moved into our own flat, where we stayed for about 2.5 years before moving to Perth. 

On 4 September 2010 I experienced my first earthquake. Thankfully there were no lives lost and it was only buildings and infrastructure that needed to be fixed, but it was a very scary experience nonetheless. It was this day that I decided to stop drinking. I'd had my fair share of partying over the years and it was time to stop and get my life in order. I'll go into further detail about this another day. 

On 2 October 2010 Scotty took me away hiking and proposed. I was officially the happiest girl alive. We got married one year later on 9 October 2011.  (I'll talk more about our romantic love affair at a later date)! 

On 22 February 2011 there was another big earthquake. This time we were nowhere near as lucky as the last and 185 people were killed. Thankfully for us it was nobody we knew directly, but this didn't make it any easier. This is something else I'd like to talk more about at a later date as this made a huge impact on future decisions we have made. 

In March 2011 we moved to Perth and lived with my sister for a little while before moving into our own place in Kelmscott. I got a full time job at a law firm in Leederville and Scotty did a lot of temping jobs before starting at an outside of school hours childcare centre. He then went on to work at his current job at an aboriginal sporting college in the boarding house where he has been for 18 months now. After 6 months we moved to Rivervale and were there for 6 months before moving into our current home at the boarding house that we now both work at. I was at the law firm in Leederville for about 20 months before the big change in job, house and lifestyle, and that is where my next post will begin soon. 

I believe that all of my experiences to date have taught me invaluable lessons and make me the person I am today. Without them, I wouldn't be me!

Everyone has highs and lows throughout their lives but it's how we deal with what life throws at us that helps to define us. Learning what the right choices are is not always easy, but with the support and opinion of others we can strive to make the right decisions and encourage others to do the same. Surrounding yourself with positive people will help to change your own mindset to start thinking more positively, and will create a happier and healthier environment for everyone to live in.