I just realised that yesterday was the 20 year anniversary of my life changing trip to Australia.

I left Edinburgh airport, surrounded by family, and set off on an adventure of a lifetime all by myself.

Recently divorced and made redundant for the THIRD time in about 2 years due to factory relocation abroad, I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that this was my time to head to Australia and New Zealand… something I’d always regretted not doing straight from Uni. Yes I was terrified….. got Valium for the flight from the doctors but didn’t need it.

I was very lucky to have received ample redundancy money over the years so had plenty of money behind me to fund it. (Never did actually add up just how much it cost me and probably should never do!)

We have lovely family in Melbourne so I headed out there to use as a base. I ended up in Australia on and off for 15 months, bouncing around but always ending back up in Melbourne. Jeez I cringe at that actually, they must have been sick of the sight of me for all that time. 😂

I got a job in Melbourne and stayed there until June when I jumped on a Groovy Grape tour from Melbourne, through Adelaide, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock and up to Darwin. I then flew across to Cairns and went up and down the east coast by bus.… first up to Port Douglas then to Townsville where I worked in a cafe on Magnetic Island for a month or so. Then onto Bargara, near Bundeberg, to stay with this lovely couple.

I knew Father Norman as he had come to stay in Penicuik and lead the ministry at St James the Less Church, while our Minister John Farrant, went out to his parish in Australia. Have no idea what age I would have been but we spent a lot of time with him. Sadly last night I joined the online feed for his funeral held in Christ Church in Bundaberg at 11.30pm. I went to bed after Crochet and slept until 11.25, then got my earphones in and lay and bed and watched the service. A lovely service for a lovely man. I’ve not seen him in 19 years but I felt I could hear him leading his own funeral service. I can also remember him serving me a cup of hazelnut tea and a cookie 🍪, in his jammies, every morning for the month that I lived with them. A very religious and very kind man.

Since I had left home in the January of 2004, Norman and Gwenn had been to Scotland to stay with mum and dad so it was lovely to stay with them and have that link to home.

I left them and headed south by overnight bus into Sydney, where I stayed for a while. Then on through Canberra and back to Melbourne to say hello.

I then flew out to Perth and worked as an outback barmaid in a town called Dowerin for a while before heading back to Melbourne for Christmas.

2005 saw the trip to New Zealand for 7 weeks as my Australian visa was up. I then flew back in for a few weeks before making my way through Thailand before heading home in April 2005. Just the most amazing trip.

I always knew I needed to come home to Scotland. I don’t remember feeling lonely as I travelled, I didn’t miss home too much but I always knew Scotland WAS home. My only regret was heading straight back into the rat race with the “big job”. I may have been clever enough to work my way up to a Senior Manager but honestly, it was never really in my make up. It was something I felt I had to do rather than wanted to do.

You shouldn’t live life with regrets.

My life lead me to Craig. ♥️

If I didn’t get sick through work I might never have found the peace that I have now.

Those 20 years have flown by in the blink of an eye.

It’s the first full moon of the year tonight. I have paid for a full moon calendar (it was only pennies) to remind me when the full moon is due. This is called the Wolf Moon.

I got a lovely photo of last nights moon as I left the hookers in the pub!

It’s also Rabbie Burns Day in Scotland so I’m having veggie haggis for dinner… the turnip had already gone off, dammit. Nae neeps for us 😂😂

I also had Terry’s Chocolate Orange which isn’t Scottish in the slightest!

Don’t worry…. She didn’t get it.

That’s my working week over so I’d best make the most of this weekend! Next weekend we’re at the Caravan z show in the SEC again ALL weekend…. 😂

Stay safe everyone ♥️♥️♥️