I love Perth

I love Perth.

Far North Queensland was very beautiful, too, of course, albeit in a very different way.

But Perth’s beauty is special to me, because Perth is home.

Life in FNQ had its challenges. Nothing to do with the place, or the people — both were wonderful. But certain circumstances made things very difficult at times. That, however, doesn’t stop me from being grateful for the many wonderful experiences that arose from living in the region. I barely knew where it was before we moved there, and I am pretty sure I would never have visited of my own accord. I was to discover it’s an amazing place, and we made some amazing friends. So I’m grateful for that.

But I’m also grateful to be home.

Over a year later, not unsurprisingly, a few things have changed. We moved, and moved again. We are now ensconced in a pleasant apartment a hop, skip and a jump from the Swan River, south of the city. I’m a North of the River gal, but soon learned my way around and we’ve settled in pretty well. When things become dreary within these walls, as things inevitably do regardless of how pleasant the surrounds, it is a simple matter to don my sneakers and my camera, or hop on my sexy Dutch bike, Mathilde, and head down to the river for a breath of fresh air and a reviving vista.

We can also take our evening meals to any number of vantage spots within easy distance, and watch the sun set.

We travelled to Singapore and spent a happy few days being tourists, with a little business thrown in. What a wonderful place! We absolutely loved it (mmmmm food!) and had the time of our lives. (After, of course, our honeymoon in Papua New Guinea, which was just The Best.)

One of the highlights of the year has been my graduation from my year-long Health Coaching course at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in May. This course was absolutely amazing in terms of personal development, not to mention learning how to be a Health Coach of course. It was also wonderful in terms of meeting so many other like-minded people, both online and in real life. This extends not just to fellow students and graduates, but to clients as well. I really enjoy the company of others, but I tend to be a solitary soul. In health coaching, the planets have aligned to bring something very special and rewarding into my life.

And, I became a grandmother. One of the things for which I’m most grateful is to have been around for my daughter, throughout her pregnancy and afterwards. And, of course, to be able to see my grandson Anthony, who at just three months old has already grown and developed at an incredible speed. It’s such a joy to watch him grow into a real little person with his own special personality.

Of course it’s amazing to be around the rest of my family, too. My two boys have grown into wonderful young men, and it’s definitely a blessing to be near my parents again. Yet, I think I will always have that adventurous itch, that yearning for extraordinary experiences. But this is still a time of healing after the rough time I had in FNQ and, for now, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

I love Perth.