Life is Good

Hello, Hello! I am currently laying on a bed looking out the window and thinking about how crazy and wonderful and exciting life is. I am also currently 14 hours ahead of New York, the future is lookin' real good for you guys over there ;) - I am in Australia! Last week, again, Eric and I played the "how long can we put off packing" game (hint: until less than 24hrs before our flight took off) and packed up as much of our lives as we could fit into two suitcases each and hopped on a plane. Flying to Australia from New York is a long trip, but flying here by way of Taiwan is another story. 10/10 would not recommend. If any of you did that trip to come visit us, I am pretty certain you would not be returning! NY to Taiwan is 16 hrs, add in a layover (ours was 6) and then an overnight 9 hr flight to Australia and you have a recipe for the sorest butt/back/body in all the land. California to Brisbane is where it's at. 

Sunrise at Point Cartwright

 

We are so excited and happy to be back living on the Sunshine Coast! The amount of times Eric and I have looked at each other and said "this doesn't feel real" is crazy. We had talked about it for so long and after first coming here two years ago, it became a dream to get back. The way things work out is crazy and in the grand scheme of things, I hope everyone realizes you are exactly where you need to be; everything happens for a reason. Looking back, if you asked either of us why certain things played out the way they did over the past few years, we wouldn't have the slightest clue. But, I am so glad we "trusted the process" and ended up right where we did! That is all every bit as cheesy as it is true. 

100% candid, just happy to be here

The Sunshine Coast is total paradise. It is so colorful, tropical and laid back. It immediately feels like home and we have spent the past few days going to some of our favorite spots from when we were here last and exploring new ones. I am so excited to keep exploring and adventuring, the things to see and places to go are endless!

La Balsa Park Sunset 

Eric is playing basketball here with a new team, but with some teammates/friends from last time. He also accepted a position working with the club! It is so exciting and I am so, so proud of him. This job is a two year commitment and after that- who knows! The past few years have taught me to embrace uncertainty (super difficult for an obsessive planner) but I am so grateful to just be going with the flow and trusting everything is unfolding how it is meant to! So, in the meantime, I'll be touching base from the wonderful Sunshine Coast, missing everyone back home like crazy, and anxiously waiting for visitors!

The best kind of view

FAQ:
Are the spiders huge?
Some are! You'll be fine.. really. 

Do all of the animals want to kill me?
No, you're good. 

(statement) It's so far.
Yeah, it is. Don't knock it till you visit though ;) 

Is the long flight worth it?
110% yes.

Brightwater Lake

Lots of love + light from my corner of the world to yours~
xx 

January 2018 + Goals

Oh hey! So, I don't really do resolutions or anything like that but halfway through January I decided it might be nice to make an effort to bring my neglected blog back to life! So hi, friends~ I hope 2018 started out amazing for everyone and it turns into the best year, yet. I would (hopefully) like to (at least) recap every month.. it's such a fun thing to look back on and revisit times/thoughts/pictures. Maybe I'll even get to writing about living in Luxembourg?! Who knows~ 

Even though I am resolution-less I have 2018 goals + ideas, a big one for me is getting comfortable being uncomfortable. It's  sometimes  so hard to get out of your own way and be okay with doing hard things to grow. So, that's something I'm really working on this year! The other night I did my first Facebook live AND I survived! So I would say it's going good so far. Blogging/posting became uncomfortable for me for a bit, but it's something I do enjoy and it's time to get uncomfortable and get back to! 

first Facebook live with my friend, Laura!

January 2018 was good to me. I really feel like it was a great start to a year that's going to be exciting and big. Eric, Tito and I traveled, spent lots of time with family and friends and enjoyed every second. 

The beginning of the month started out with Tito recovering from emergency eye surgery (yikes)  PSA: Dog parents, look into pet insurance!!  When something you don't expect to happen, happens, youll be thanking yourself (and me). Still wishing I had gotten it when I looked into it when he was a puppy.. with no pre existing conditions.. but that's life and I should probably take my own advice and get it anyway. He's doing great now, and is the proud new owner of doggles (still waiting for him to love them as much as we do). 

                      

                       

The day his stitches came out we hopped on a plane and headed to spend some time with Eric's family in Colorado. It was so great to see and spend time with them. Colorado is so beautiful and such a huge change from what we are used to. We went to a rodeo, up to their cabin, toured Celestial Seasonings (SO interesting and fun) and saw his extended family. Tito went to "sleep away camp" aka we boarded him (for the first time) for two nights there and I cried when we left... his little face was so confused. crazydogmom.

        

After the weekend, Tito and I hopped on another plane (flight #11 for him) and went to San Diego for some much needed bff time with Paisley and her cute puppy, Eleanor! I love love California. As sad as I am being so far from my best friend, I'm not too mad about visiting her there. We hiked, went to the dog beach, she showed me around their new area and we played board games with Brett once he was done adulting. Tito didn't eat Eleanor so I call that a win. Eric flew in a few days later and we got to get together with my Aunt Katie and Uncle Richie who we don't see nearly enough. It was the best time. 

      

          
                   
  
  

I'm so glad we booked the trip for when we did, it was the perfect way to start off a new year. 

The weekend after we got back I headed into NYC to spend way overdue time with some of my best friends from college. We don't get together nearly enough but when we do, it feels like no time has passed. The only thing that's changed is I feel hungover staying up way, way past my bedtime.. even without drinking. Yikes. 

  

January, thanks for bringing me so many dogs to pet and so many of my favorite people~ 

Things coming up in February:

· lots and lots of teaching (since I haven't posted anything in forever- this is new-ish, I'm an online ESL teacher! I teach the cutest Chinese students)

· a 30 day clean eating challenge- I'm so so excited for 

· enjoying every second of this Long Island winter ...lol 

· (hopefully) lots of beach walks

· more time with friends 

· more blogging (?!) 

· podcasts! listening to lots of really great ones (always open to recommendations- some favorites are Oprah's Super Soul Conversations, the Lively Show & What the Eff.) 

· new recipes + time spent in the kitchen (aka one of my happy places)

· reading, knitting and early bedtimes (just like the grandma I am at heart) 

January wrapped up with an unexpected snow + my feisty Gram unknowingly diva-ing around Walgreens, so here ya go~

  

hope you had the best January. love and light. xo