Family

Arriving in Adelaide after a six hour journey I flop onto the bed. All I want to do is sleep but the grumbling in my tummy tells me that I need food. I’m staying right in the city centre so there are countless amount of eateries on my door step. After nearly falling asleep in a bowl of pasta I decide to give in and head back to the hotel, I can’t enjoy myself whilst I am so tired. I couldn’t sleep last night with the pain in my shoulder and then with the drive as well it is killing me. Pressing floor 6 in the lift I notice on the basement level there is a pool and a spa… OOOOOO!! It wasn’t so much as a spa as it was a jacuzzi but none the less I was grateful to sit in it reading my book for an hour.

It seems right that at the end of my time in Australia exhaustion hits me. I have experienced so many wonderful things, memories that I will be able to tell when I am an old lady. Tomorrow is my last full day here and then I shall fly to Sydney to meet my Dad and then onwards to Queenstown, New Zealand. I’m really looking forward to seeing Dad, this journey has been an amazing experience for me and I feel like I’ve grown as a person. I needed to take this step on my own but now I really miss my family.

Family is such an important thing to me, they have always supported me with everything I’ve done. Everything I’ve achieved I could not have done it without their love and guidance. Only three more days until I get to share my journey 🙂

H x

Get out of the road!

It’s a funny little place here. You can easily drive for an hour and only see one or two cars and when you do see them, everyone waves at eachother! I went to the biggest town on the island today which is called Kingscote. For people where I’m from it was smaller than the street down Lowesmoor but the good thing? They serve lush coffee. So I pulled up a seat and just observed the locals who had come in for breakfast. I actually sat and has three coffees as I didn’t get any sleep last night, being on the cliff edge has its pros and cons as you can imagine but when I thought the whole hut was going to take off and I’d be greeted by a tin man and the wizard of Oz as you can imagine I didn’t get much sleep!

I’ve seen lots of wildlife today, some that nearly became roadkill and others that I happily observed from the road. I’ve seen wild koalas, oversized hedgehog thing – I can’t remember what it’s called! Kangaroos & joeys and a big ass lizard.

There’s a lot of driving around here and eventually finding places that haven’t got a lot in them so I opted to head back to my shack and do some more painting and reading. Very chilled 🙂

H x

As slow as a sloth

Melbourne is awesome, so many places the eat, drink, shop, chill out, whatever you want to do! Last night I slept like I was in my own bed. It usually takes me a few nights to adjust but my god as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out of it and got up at 10am, it was brilliant! Such a lush feeling not having to set an alarm or anything. Rolled out of bed, walked down the street and had a big ass breakfast as I didn’t really eat anything yesterday… Basically I wound up in hospital for 5 hours after my I lifted my suitcase and felt a snap, so turns out that I have torn my tendon in my bicep… Brilliant! But that’s ok because they gave great drugs ha! I’m in a sling but feeling a lot better today, I’m just about to catch a movie – The Wedding Ringer with Kevin Hart, God I love that bloke! I’m feeling like a sloth today but that’s ok, some days it’s ok to just have a wander and chill out 🙂

Wishing you an equally chilled out Saturday x

Do it with your eyes closed

Arriving at Sydney airport once more I am ready to begin my next leg of the trip to Melbourne.

As I check in, drop my bag off and go through security I realise I’m not mm doing this without even thinking about it. No liquids, sharps, bombs. Belt off, shoes off. Boarding card ready, bags on conveyer belt. It just feels normal now, I’ve learnt how to pack my bag so that my iPad is easy to get to to remove, have my passport to hand.

Nearly a month ago I had just started my journey and I was so stressed at Heathrow, feeling panicked and like everyone was moving around at a million miles an hour. Now I am calm, people are asking me how to work the check in system, how to get to security. I think this is the most chilled out I’ve been travelling, I’ve driven 1000s of miles in the last week without a satnav. Driven over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, dropped off Hulk Junior and now awaiting my flight. Feel absolutely chilled out 🙂

Happy Hellen 🙂 x

Does it really matter?

Before I came out here I was already stressing about what I was going to do when I got home. I’d given up my apartment, my job, my gym, everything. I was panicking thinking oh shit what the hell am I doing?! But now as I sit with my legs dangling over a wall, the sea breeze tickling my toes I am confident that I made the right decision.

The journey so far has opened my eyes and helped me in a lot of ways. Now, when I look back and think about the stresses that seemed so huge at the time I realise they weren’t that big at all, in fact now I wouldn’t even call them stresses.

They say that travelling on your own is one of the best gifts to give to yourself and I agree. With no boyfriend, no kids, no worries back home, I believe it can enhance you as a person. When you’re on your own you have to just get shit done, yes you can have a flap and a cry on the phone to your parents but all it is is you and the problem. Facing it head on is the only way to deal with it. You are in charge of you, your money, your safety, your health, everything. It’s a vital step that I needed to take at this time in my life.

One month ago almost to this day I was crying on my friend’s shoulder on New Years Eve because I didn’t have anyone to kiss at midnight, I was so distraught that I didn’t have a partner to spend Christmas with – again, I was on the verge on checking into a nunnery. But now I realise, does it really matter? I’m 23 years old, do I need to be married right now? Do I need to start a family right now? It had completely consumed me so much that I couldn’t enjoy walking down the street without cursing a happy couple.

I believe that you need to spend time on your own to discover who you are and what you want. God knows that sounds like a cliché but I understand that now. I’m single and I’m ok about that. In fact, right now I’m thankful of that. Thankful that I haven’t got to sit and think what my boyfriend is doing or who that girl is who wrote on his Facebook wall. I’m over that shit! It’ll happen when it happens. I might meet someone walking back to the car, I might meeting someone in 5 years time, who knows but all I know is that I feel ok. I feel good right now and I encourage anyone who feels like they are stuck in a rut, afraid to take the leap of faith to do it because I can promise you with 100% that you will not regret it.

Sending you love, courage and happiness from the ocean.

H x

The Pacific Highway

I ditched Forster as it was hammering it down this morning and started my journey down the Pacific Highway to Newcastle. Pissing it down once more I turned up the tunes and sang my way to my destination. I did have one funny moment near arrival. I stopped at some traffic lights wailing out Angels – Robbie Williams and looked over and saw a hard core rocker pulled up next to me, he proceeded to join in with my wailing – what a dude! Don’t judge a book by its cover 🙂

So I’ve had a pot of tea, a wonder around and now I’m just chilling out in my little room watching Serena Williams, my god that woman has a cracking body! I’m quite chuffed because I’ve lost about a stone since I’ve been out here, watching all these sports women is giving me inspiration to get myself back to when I was ultra fit, just need to sort my shoulder out now which is losing strength and mobility by the day!

Anyway hope you’re having a lovely day wherever you are in the world 🙂

H x

If you’re going to fall… Do it with style!

How confident would you feel about the place you’re staying in if a pest patrol van pulled up? Hmm. I’m sat in my little room with a cup of tea and some shows from the 70’s. It’s raining, again but of corse it is, it always rains when I drive 🙂

I headed out for a little trip to a place called Seals Rock today where it stopped raining for a grand total of an hour! Woop de doo! I found a lovely little light house which stunning views, I also found some amusing signs.

There are some beautiful beaches here but there’s no cafes or anything so apart from park up and sit in your car you can’t really go out. There isn’t any shops about or people for that matter, it’s a ghost town in Forster! Very pretty but sort of eerie.

H x

Pubes in The Shower

I’m just going to start this post off with a warning. Australian sun will eat you alive and spit you back out!!! I lay in the sun for 10 minutes…. 10 MINUTES and it wasn’t even full on sunny and my back is borderline the same colour as Satan. So be warned people, the sun over here is not a joke!

Apart from being scorched to an inch of my life I’ve had a cracking day! It was absolutely pissing it down again this morning so because the waves were acting up my turtle snorkel got postponed until tomorrow I decided I’d take Hulk Junior out for a spin….. Literally a wheel spin I couldn’t get the fucking thing to go! Hate automatics!

We arrived at a very cute little town called Bangalow which had lots of vintage shops, a farmers market and more hippies. When I moved into my studio apartment back home I had a certain vision in mind for what I wanted the decor to be like but could I create it back home? No. Bangalow however had every shop and every thing that I wanted to go in my apartment. Bugger. Definitely think I’d be over the baggage allowance if I’d of invested in the many items I desired.

After dropping Hulk Junior back to the crib I quickly swapped into my bikini and headed out on the bike which now has working brakes.. Ahh the little things in life eh? Found a nice spot by the beach, under a tree and just painted. It was lush. As the sun started to peep it’s head out from around the clouds I thought I’d take the opportunity to grab abit more colour,,, when I say colour I meant tan not a fucking lobster!!

Back at the range I did some more painting and chilling out and it was only when I was chatting to some new women that I realised I hadn’t put my watch an hour forward… Woops! Quickly diving into the shower I retch as I swill out the endless amount of pubes in the tray – I think Chewy must of stayed last night! Grabbing me bike I head out to grab some food and then off to the movies to watch Into The Woods which is complete with a glass of Processco and breads whilst you lounge around watching the movie… Awesome!

Worcestershire Sauce? Yeah that’s where I’m from

When people hear that you are from the UK immediately they say ‘Oh my god are you from London?’ No my dear I am not from London. I come from a small country village where everyone knows everyone and everyone’s business. The type of village that if you walk down the road with a new bloke it would be in the local parish magazine before you reached the post office at the top. I usually ask if people know Birmingham, to which I can say I live about 40 minutes South of it. If not I say 2 hours North of London. If people really aren’t getting the picture I say the Worcestershire Sauce line, that’s right guys the infamous sauce, I am from where it is made. The greatest sauce known to mankind…… Well the best you can put on beans on toast!

Brisbane is a funny little City. If you want to eat until you die from consuming so much food or drink until the sun comes up, then this is the place to be however getting up this morning I struggled to know what to do. I walked down to Eagle Street Pier and got the ferry around the bend to South Bank where there were lots of man made beaches and yet more places to eat and drink. This city is great and it would work really well if either A) You lived here and enjoyed going for some sundowners after work or B) You were here for a dirty weekend away and was too hungover to brace the streets in the day so just waited to recover to repeat the night before.

I did find a peaceful little Japanese garden on South Bank which I enjoyed strolling around in my regrettably long swishy trousers. I love those trouser however I have come to terms with the fact that they are strictly for English summers reaching a grand height of 26 degrees, not for 30 degree heat with 80% humidity.

I managed to have a cheeky little workout in the gym which overlooked the city. I don’t know if it’s any good but I cycled 14.3km in 30 minutes! Either way I was both proud of it and sweating like a bitch!

I also enjoyed a lovely evening catching up with an old friend, my brother best friend who I have known since I was very little. Very strange meeting up with someone for little old Hallow half way around the world!

As always I attach my photos from today 🙂

H x

Could you stop doing that?

I feel like I’ve been travelling all day – partly because I have been travelling all day. I’m typing this as fast as I can because my 30 minute complimentary wifi is about to run out!

My day, woke up, got on a plane, navigated myself to the awesome apartments I’m staying at for a few nights. Off for a shower then going to get pissed! I need it today, I feel shattered and the temptation to just crawl into bed and sleep is far too present so I opt to do the opposite.

I need a shower because I feel like I’ve been stalked by stinkers today and no it’s not me before you ask. The taxi driver this morning absolutely hummed as lovely as he was pointing out different things on the ride to the airport, everytime he lifted his arm another koala dropped down dead from a tree. My next encounter was with the young girl who sat next to me. To say she had cheesy feet was the understatement of the year, now we all get smelly feet but I don’t know about you if I know my feet fucking stink I will keep them as far away from the person sitting next to me as my little legs will let me. I would not however sit with my legs up so my feet are within finger picking distance, that’s right people I was sat next to someone who enjoyed picking their toenails and then dropping them on the floor. One was not amused!

Now I know after a day travelling I don’t smell like a bed of roses but I would not shove my armpit into someone’s face to highlight that fact! Hmm anyway here’s my little apartment and I sign I found on my way should you forget the correct way to use a toilet.

H x