I am... Australian

I currently live about a fifteen minute from work. Which I walk to and from five days a week. This is a nice time. I often contemplate how I am feeling, my thoughts and the general goings on of my life. Today I contemplated Australia Day. And what makes me Australian. More than how I love a good barbie along with the best of them or how being at the beach with my family and friends makes me feel as if I am home. While I am sure there are certainly more things I only live fifteen minutes walk and so this is what I came up with. The first being the obvious.

I was born in Australia. In a small town in Western Australia. To my Australian mother and father. It was a country little town which in many ways was just like many other small country towns in Australia. A pub and a town hall and not a lot else. But it was home. And then our little family moved away when I was ten to small beach town. A small town that loves the coast and the lifestyle that goes with that. A town where a day at the beach is the best possible use of a day off. A beautiful little town where my family and friends still live. A small Australian beach town that I still call home. My home. Even when I am on the other side of the world.

My love of the under dog. I have always been a fan. A very big fan. I love that someone who no one expects anything of can come from behind and have a win. Someone that nobody thinks can, can win and does win. A nobody can win and I love that. I love the Underdog and am not ashamed to say that I am a huge huge fan. And speaking of fans I am also a big fan of the Come Back Kid. Someone who can come back from adversity through hard ship and have a win. Someone who will not be defined by their past or their current situations or hardships. Long live the Come Back Kid.

I have religious beliefs. I believe in God. But you know what I am allowed. And in Australia you are allowed to not believe in God and also allowed to believe in a different God then I do. I don't have to worry about people bursting the door down because I do believe. I am not going to get thrown in jail. Life is good and I am free to have religious beliefs. And not just those beliefs I am allowed to have political beliefs. Life is good because if I dislike what my government is doing I can voice that opinion. Out loud. In public. And if I wanted to change things I can. I can vote. Or I could run for government. If I am not happy with the way things are then I have the opportunity to change things. I am free.

Since travelling I haven't heard the Australian national anthem that often. Which is perfectly natural I guess. I heard it the other day for the first time in a long time and I am not ashamed to say it brought tears to my eyes. I miss Australia. It is an amazing country. And I am blessed to be Australian. I am blessed to be free.



Much love to you,

Forever free and a lover of the underdog,

Karen xoxoxo

Living a Happy Life

I had an awesome day today.
Awesome.
It was a great day.
Come to think about it yesterday was a great day as well.
Actually amazing.
Then most days last week were great days as well.
Life is good.
Things are good.
I am happy.

Along way from home...

Source: frida-frida-frida.blogspot.com via Sabrina on Pinterest

Happy and Healthy

Sometimes I just don't have much to say. I have officially started a routine. And because that routine consists of not a lot of money (read: hardly any, almost none) I have not being doing anything that I believe to be very reportable. So I am sorry I haven't updated in a while/ a long while but here it is. And because it is my day off and I am lazy it is in point form. Better than nothing

* I work most days at least for a couple of hours. I love it. How could I not. Clothes. A lot of Clothes. It is a nice creative outlet.

* Have joined a gym and am determined to go regularly spurred on by both the vision of me in latest photos and also by a commitment to a very dear friend of mine. Because we both agree misery loves company.

* Yesterday I picked up my snow pass and got my Canadian drivers license. Super exciting day. Now if only the snow we get it's act on.

* Living in a house with 4 others including Joshua. It is really nice. I feel lucky that we can get along so well and have the same view on things.

* On Saturday I am going to a Ball. Joshua surprised me with tickets will be nice to get all prettied up.

* Mountain opens in two weeks.

* Joshua has been cooking up a storm and I must confess I love coming home and not having to worry about what to have for dinner.

* Very rainy last few days but snow is on the horizon for the next few days so fingers crossed.

Happy and Healthy. Hope you are as well.

Love

Karen and Joshua xo

Point and Shoot: Coming down the Mountain

Our Dream Came True

Being unemployed gives me an abundant amount of time to think. I think. I worry. I contemplate. And more often that I like to admit I worry some more.

Now I am not normally one to share my opinions or my two sense worth because in all honesty that was never what this blog was meant to be about. Rather a portal to keep close to those we love that are so far away. However sometimes realisations do deserve to be shared because if you were closer I know that I would be telling you this in person.

Something that I realised yesterday is that it is not enough for your dream to come true. You have to constantly live that dream. Here Josh and I are living our dream. We have moved over here and I feel like I have a constant stream of worries or thoughts towards those that I am missing. And I need to stop.

This is my dream. Our dream. And it came true. So I need to get over the worry and be here right now. Don't get me wrong when I see my bank balance heomerrging constantly I do worry that I am still yet to get a job. And it is so easy to compare to what would be if I was back home. But I am still here. Here in my dream.

For me this means to be bold and not afraid of what might be. To not wallow on the fact that I miss my family and friends. To not worry about the fact no jobs have called me back. But to be here in this moment because this is what I dreamed of.

I guess this advice isn't specific to living overseas either. If your dream come true is finding your prince and getting married. You would still have to commit to that dream. Because marriage isn't easy. Same with being a parent. Or getting the job of your dreams.

Life isn't always easy. But it is great.

More than great. It is a dream come true.

Wordless Wednesdays: Autumn or Fall?

First Wordless Wednesday from us for a while:) Had to get the hang of the time difference and kept going to post them too late. But here we are with a Wordless Wednesday (even if it is Tuesday here:P)

Playing along here:)

Love Karen and Josh xo