I’ve had a busy few days of moving from one place to another. After leaving Brisbane I made my way to stay with Scottish ex-pat friends in Helensvale, which is a town on the Gold Coast, around an hours drive south. I met Alistair and Connie and their daughter Sinead through my good friend Elma (Alistair is Elma’s brother) and it was lovely to arrive at another ‘home away from home’ after my not so great night in Brisbane! I can’t even express how grateful I am to these guys for having me to stay – I instantly felt at home. Is there anything better than sharing good banter with amazing people over a glass (or 4) of wine? I think not!
Me, Sinead, Connie, Alistair and their granddaughter Charlotte
I’m not sure what it was about that Airbnb I stayed in in Brisbane on Sunday night, but I just didn’t feel safe. I was awake most of the night, the room was stifling hot and I felt like I was suffocating! The house also had a lot of other travelers staying in it, which wasn’t advised on the listing – and having to share 1 bathroom with 7 other people just isn’t my idea of fun AT ALL. However, it was a bed for the night and for that I’m grateful. Still – I couldn’t wait to leave!
Alistair & Connie have a wild koala that is resident sometimes in one of the huge gum trees in their back yard, and I was lucky enough to not only catch a glimpse of him sitting high up in the tree, but to see him right up close when he climbed down the tree to run across to another one! It was absolutely incredible – it’s so rare to see a koala in the wild, but to see one so close must be 1 in a million chance!
I was so lucky to see this wild koala up close!
I’ve been finding it tricky getting into a proper work routine, so I managed to knuckle down whilst I was in Helensvale and tick quite a bit of work off my list whilst I was there. I found a nice little cafe called Eat Positive which had great coffee and good wifi (the ultimate combination) so I headed there for a few hours and got shit done! I think it’s going to take me quite some time to strike the balance between working on my business and doing the tourist thing whilst I’m away from the UK for these three months – it’s the first time I’ve ever taken off and worked full time whilst traveling, so I’m treating it as a learning experience and just taking it one day at a time. If it works out, then great… if it doesn’t work out so well, then it’s been a learning experience.
The sun has been shining and it’s getting progressively hotter as we head towards mid-summer here and for the most part, I’m really enjoying it. I absolutely love sunshine and hot temperatures, but it’s nice to retreat to the air conditioning every few hours for a break… you forget how much the heat can be exhausting! I certainly can’t walk outside for as long as I can at home! 20-30 minutes and I’m a sweaty, knackered mess!
For the last two days I have been on holiday with my lovely friend Carmen and her family at the Marriott Resort in Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast). I feel extremely fortunate to be here – it’s stunning! This is the type of resort that I used to work in when I was in the hospitality industry in Australia – and I can confirm that it is DEFINITELY more enjoyable being a guest!
The view from the room, looking down onto the lagoon pool
Haha! I have enjoyed lounging by the pool reading my book, sipping delicious coffee whilst doing my work overlooking the lagoon pool, scrumptious food including the best breakfast I’ve had in AGES and some down time in the air conditioning!
I can think of worse places to work from!
I took a nice stroll along Surfers North Beach this afternoon as I find it hard to sit still for too long. The beach was pretty quiet which was nice, and the sand felt just amazing on my feet. Walking along the beach always make me feel calm and ‘in the moment’, which was nice seeing as my anxiety has been pretty ropey and I’ve been dealing with quite a number of racing thoughts these past few days.
My white feet and tanned legs!
Approaching Christmas Day now, I am feeling a little bit apprehensive about being away from home and away from my family, I’d be lying if I said I won’t miss it / them – I really will. I’ve had a nice relaxing few days now getting back into a routine but also trying not to take any of this journey for granted. The next few days we’ll be preparing for Christmas Day, I’ll be cooking some food and sorting a few bits and pieces out. Then on the 27th I’m going to be taking off for just over a week by myself to see a few places on the north of the Sunshine Coast – Eumundi, Noosa, Black Mountain and then on to 1770, Agnes Water and down to Bundaberg before heading to Hervey Bay and Fraser Island. I’m sure there will be lots to see and do so I’ll just be working & enjoying the down time for now.
