Mmm Mmm Good :)

G’Day everyone! March has continued to be an exciting and energetic time in my life, stirring a joy in me that I could have never expected. I have been at my job for and my house for the last two weeks, and every day is more of a gift than the first.

Things with my job are going wonderful at this time. WSP Lincolne Scott is a very kind and relaxed company and people have done wonders to make me feel welcomed into the family. It is a lovely place to work with the kind people and free coffee - not to mention that every Friday we can dress casual and in jeans! Unlike my previous reception role at UBS Financial Services, things are at a much more relaxed pace at WSPLS. Yesterday I was able to spend most the day catching up on paying bills, personal correspondence, and naturally wasting time on Facebook… perfect for a backpacker!

Life is better than anything I could have imagined it to be. Every day I wake up enthused to go to work, and end the day I am satisfied and walk home with a smile. I constantly am feeling thankful and that I am experiencing the epitome of bliss. Though I was convinced it would take an opposite effect, my social life has not declined nearly as much as I assumed that it would… only to add to my satisfaction of my experience thus far.

First of all, my dear friend Francis returned to Sydney after his travels to Melbourne – which has been why even my weekday nights have been filled. After meeting Francis for a brief week and half last June, I knew that I had found a dear and special friend. I told Joy then that Francis is, “the friend that I always wanted to have, but could never find.” Surviving as a hippie in his van he so lovingly called Macy (due to a spray painting of Macy Grey on the side), I reunited with Francis with his shoulder-length hair and bare feet by the Sydney Harbor Bridge. With the last week and a half of his time back in Sydney, I have managed to uncontrollably laugh and smile and maintain a more care-free spirit myself. With the closure of his year visa, I am grieved to say that my friend is leaving me tomorrow to head back to Thailand for a bit, and return to Austria. Once again Francis has managed to paint my life with colours and images that will remain with me… and I hope only to share the beautiful things I have learned from him with others.

Though one dear friend is gone, I am incredibly thrilled and thankful that my other friend Lisa has decided to return to Sydney after a few weeks in Brisbane! Arriving just yesterday, I was blessed to spend the evening with her and look forward to another tonight (I reckon and hope this is a frequent occurrence)! Finding it difficult to achieve work in Brisbane and with more links in Sydney, Lisa has decided that this city is a better fit. Trying not to be too biased during her decision making, I attempted to have little influence on what she was debating, but I have to say that this has turned out in my favour!

Discovering my new residence of Surry Hills has created many thrilling moments for me! Located in the heart of many great pubs, I have found a place where I intend on spending a lot of my time when going out with friends. Known as the Shakespeare Hotel, this pub is adorned with a Victorian-themed interior, dark carpet and wallpaper, creaky wood floors, chandeliers made out of deer antlers and candles, private rooms to play games in, and brilliant electronic music in the background. On top of that, my favourite Cider known as Bulmer’s is on tap and there are Greek salads for on $4.50 (it’s hard to find a meal less than $8)! So if any of you come out to see me, you can guarantee that we will be taking a short stop at the Shakespeare Hotel :)

I guess at this point I don’t feel that I have too much to share; just loving life as much as I can with work, living and hanging out with friends! I would have to say that overall, I can’t remember being this happy in a long time; it seems that life is truly a gift and a blessing with each passing day. I am learning a lot about myself and enjoying many new things and people. I want nothing more than what is in front of me – and there is something truly beautiful about being able to exist in this mindset and experience undisrupted satisfaction. There are things that would make this experience better, such as the attendance of loved ones, but other than that I could not be happier! One month has already gone by and I can only imagine that the next 11 will follow its lead. I love you and miss you all…