Ch ch ch ch changes

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Okay. Enough with the song references. I'm just saying (and I say a lot of things) that perhaps it would be wise to look out for a new profile photo and "who is wifey" spiel in the not-too-distant future.

I'd better put it on my "to do" list so I don't forget...

The heat is on

No, I'm not referring to Glenn Frey's awesome hit from the 80s, I'm referring to summer in Brisbane. You see, living in Melbourne, I forget what summer is like up here. When in Melbourne, I am in regular contact with a good friend of mine and she often tells me "it's hot" and I think "it can't be THAT bad". And then I come to visit and remember. It so totally completely IS that bad. And this is why:

- I am a naturally sweaty person. Need I say more? 
- a cold shower still means warm water
- it's too hot to sleep
- I sweat a lot
- parking in the shade is more important than anything else. Anything.
- I can't wear make up (not such a bad thing)
- did I mention the sweat??

I love Brisbane. I really do. But I gotta say, I don't miss the summers up here. I'm just going to go and stand in front of the fan for a while now...

The Big 3-0!

Monday, January 18, 2010

At 4:04am today I turned 30. What does that feel like? Well, I had a lot of time to ponder over this question at 2 o'clock this morning, thanks to jet-lag, and I started thinking about my life so far. What I have achieved, where I'm at, and what lies before me. And here's what I came up with:

Highs:
Getting through puberty, relatively unscathed
My developing relationships with my family and friends
Going overseas for a year and realising how capable and resilient I really am
Finding the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, and it being such an obvious decision
Moving to Melbourne and starting a new life down there
Having a relatively healthy life with only minor injuries to speak of!

Lows:
I really haven't had that much bad stuff happen to me. Apart from the usual teenage angst, broken hearts and battle with self-esteem, most of the stress in my life is brought about by my overactive imagination and ability to worry about... well... everything!


What I've done so far:
I'm very proud of my achievements, and my willingness to try new things. I have enjoyed all the different hobbies I have tried, and the travelling I have done. I'm also happy that I have completed study in a couple of different areas, and that it has benefitted me in ways I didn't expect. I love that I was introduced to church as a teenager, and that I was fortunate enough to meet Hubs at Day Camp one year, where he vowed to his friend, there and then, that one day he would marry me. That was totally awesome.

What lies ahead:
Gosh. Where do I start? There are still so many things I want to do with my life. Travel some more, add to our family of 2, live in the country, ride in a helicopter over Brisbane (happening on Thursday!! :-), learn more sign language, grow in my faith, and continue this blog!

I think that's enough self-reflection for now. We are off to dinner tonight for my birthday, and I can't wait to share yet another amazing milestone with my incredible family. A great start to the year that is to come!

South Africa

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Things to tell you about when I get home:

Biltong
Bakkies
Snoek
The Big 5
Savannas
Koeksisters
Potjie
Agave
Oliebolle
Sarmies
Braai
The Valley of Desolation
Game
Torrential rain
Robots
Ouma
The in-laws
The Kruger

... and lots lots more!.....