The Last and Final

So, here I am, 3.5 months after leaving Australia and not a day goes by that I don't think about my host family, my church, my Compass family, my Aussie family, my AuPair friends, or the friends I made while traveling. Not a day goes by that I don't think about at least one of my adventures. Not a day goes by that I don't think about the impact the entire journey has had on my life and the differences in me because of it. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I was still there, but not a day goes by that I don't thank my Heavenly Father for bringing me home.

From beginning to end the whole journey was a learning and growing process for me - from deciding I was going to go, to deciding in what capacity, to finding a host family, to choosing a church, to leaving home and everything I knew to be comfortable, to utilizing a new transportation system, to re-learning how to drive, to making new friends, to booking holidays, to touring, to sharing my testimony with my church, to attending my lifegroup, to finding an accountability partner, to attempting to manage very difficult and very strong emotions, to being so far away from home for so long for the first time, to losing my job, to leaving, etc etc etc. I'm not a person who handles new or change very well, but everything about this journey was new and required change or adaptation. The journey wasn't always easy, but it wouldn't have been such a powerful, life changing journey without those low times and I always came out stronger on the other side of those difficult times - partly due to my new confidence in myself, but also due to the love and strength of my Heavenly Father, my friends and family back home, and the amazing church family He surrounded me with during my time there to encourage me to keep looking to Him in those tough times. Thank you to everyone (including those that have been faithfully reading my blog and supporting me through it) who in some way or another talked with me, encouraged me, supported me, or even just made me smile or laugh. With the good, the bad, the pretty, and the ugly - I wouldn't change a thing about my dream journey, turned reality, to the amazing place that is Australia (more particularly, Melbourne).

Things I Miss
- Seemingly infinite hot water
- GOOD vanilla chai lattes
- 15 min. drive to the beach
- Walking to the post office, grocery store, nail salon, hair cutter, cafes, etc
- COMPASS!!
- The Slide Show
- Crust Pizza and Red Shallots
- All the events and festivals in the city
- The accent (even though while there I was technically the one with the accent)
- Watching sports with my Aussie Family
- Dollars of different colors and sizes and coins that made sense
- Rounding up or down to the nearest $0.05 when purchasing stuff
- Tax included in prices and no tipping

Things That Australia Changed About Me
- I used to use 2 packets of sweetener in my cereal, now I only use 3/4 of one or none at all
- I used to hate driving and be really nervous about it, now I have extreme confidence in my driving and will drive just about anywhere without obsessing over it and Googling a million times first (just recently did my first ever drive longer than 1 hour with zero stress!!!)
- I used to always wear sweatpants and sweatshirts, now I own actual sweaters and knit shirts and wear them quite frequently
- I used to only eat very basic foods and would never try anything new, now I eat things like curry and risotto and I try a new food about 3 times a week (some tries more successful than others)
- I use to know which side the turn signal was on and which side the windshield wipers were on and now I always turn on the wrong one (well, I didn't say all the changes were positive ones)
- I used to appreciate my family, but now I really really really appreciate them
- I use to watch quite a few hours of TV every day, now I watch maybe 1.5 hours a day, if that. (unless I'm binge watching a new show)
- I use to always know which country I was in, now at least once every other day I think I am in Australia
- I used to kind of like the idea of going places and traveling, now I'm addicted to it!!

Going to Australia in the capacity I did was without a doubt the best thing I have ever done with my life to this point and probably one of the best things I will ever do. It was a physical journey, but it was also a personal and spiritual journey, and for those two reasons, this particular time in my life will always hold a very special place in my heart. This being my last blog, the last time I will post pictures from this time in my life, here is my entire journey in pictures!!!

July 2012

August 2012

September 2012

October 2012

November 2012

December 2012

December 2012/January 2013

February 2013

March 2013

April 2013

May 2013

July 2014

August 2014

September 2013

October 2013

While this journey is over, another one has already begun. I've started a full time job as a live-out nanny for a fabulous family. I've been to NYC and DC. I've made so many memories with my family and friends (some I would have missed out on had I stayed in Australia as long as I originally thought I would), with many more memories to come. I'm looking forward to all the weddings, births, concerts, trips, etc that are already planned for the year and excited for whatever else may come my way - good or bad - because as I've learned from this particular journey, behind the bad there is good, it might be somewhere deep down, but it's there, and it will make me stronger and wiser.

<3