Find joy in the moment. My littlest sister is a very strong-willed, ‘it’s all mental’, kind of person. I love traveling with her because she has a way of staying present in the moment and enjoying every second in that moment. When she came to visit me in Australia she kept saying, “Every fun thing in life always goes by SO fast. No matter what happens on this trip I am going to keep telling myself to soak up everything because in 2 weeks I will wish I was right here in this very place doing it all over again.” It was a great motto for the trip, partially because any time she would get annoyed with me,  I would just bounce right back with….”You’re gonna miss this. You’re gonna want this back.” (also a country song by Trace Adkins).

Sprinkling this mantra into your daily life will help you to reflect on and appreciate each moment. Life will still fly by and there will always be things you do NOT want to do, but at least you have punctuated your days/months/years with special memories that add a piece to the never-ending puzzle of your character and being.

 

 

 

 

If you are part of the small percentage of the world’s citizens that has had the opportunity to live life on another culture’s terms, you’ve probably found that the experience awakened your senses and led you to new understandings and personal growth. Coming home might feel like a letdown after all that excitement. But it’s also an opportunity to put your new skills to use. The challenge now is to take both your new knowledge and exploration skills and integrate them permanently into your life ahead. It might sound like a daunting task, but, supported by your horizontal roots, the new you is destined to thrive.

Coming Home: Relationships, Roots, Unpacking. A great article discussing the feelings upon returning home and advice for coping! One of those articles I kept yelling ‘yes!’ and ‘totally agree!’….to myself.

Some shocking cultural differences and a few interesting facts about Australia:

• My personality was much more ‘excitable’ than most Aussies. I was very easily entertained by everything (a stereotype of Americans)
• When I told my friends who I was ‘rooting’ for at the footy game, I got REALLY dirty looks.
• The Arcade is the shopping mall.
• The Chemist is a pharmacy.
• A ‘Hotel’ is actually a pub, not a hotel in most cases. The London Hotel, etc.
• Lean Cuisines are not a staple in their diet, nor do they sell good flavors at Woolworths or Coles.
• Aussies are very sarcastic so you have to understand their sense of humor or they can come off as a tad abrasive. [Koala’s hang from the local gum trees and can claw your eyes out! FALSE] Be on your A game or they will take advantage of your gullible nature!
• Most other countries outside of the US have a ‘gap year’ after high school and before college where people are encouraged to travel the world. College isn’t as much of an ‘experience’ like it is here in the U.S and many Aussies live at home and go to the local ‘Uni’. Also – if you wanted to be a doctor for example, 100% of your Uni and post education is all medical (you wouldn’t complete any general education classes).
• A dingo is a wild dog, not a kangaroo
• Kangaroo meat is delicious and is one of the leanest meats you can eat
• The work/life balance is fantastic – Aussies work really hard but also take full advantage of their life outside of the office.

There are a million more differences with every culture, one isn’t better than the other, just different. The beauty is being able to pick out what you love from each place you live or visit to serve as your personal guidelines and road map.

What are some of the biggest shocks you have experienced with new cultures?

You can tell a lot about a person by their morning reads on the net. When you find a great website it’s like getting lost in art – 20 minutes flies by in a blink (accidental tongue twister)! Here are the pages that captivate and inspire me each day:

Springwise – new business trends/ideas

Kickstarter – crowd funding platform for creative projects

Foodgawker – food that makes you gawk. be careful with this one!

Good.is – the good finder

Aquabumps – daily photos of Bondi Beach, Australia, that never cease to amaze.

What are some of your favorite sites to peruse?

In the end what matters most is
how well did you live
How well did you love
How well did you learn to let go.

I miss it.
I miss…
Feeling the clean, crisp air swirling through the city.
The scorching hot summer mornings followed by afternoon thunderstorms.
The thousands of active people running, walking, swimming, surfing, sipping their morning cuppa and enjoying every second outside of the office.
The safety and comfort of being ‘down under’.
The surreal feeling that I was living in a dream.
Muesli and yogurt, crunchy Milo in milk, Shapes crackers, Splice popsicles.
Four Pines, Wine Odyssey, Trio, The Australian Hotel, Massive Cafe, FourAteFive cafe, Pony in the Rocks.
The 333 bus barreling down Bondi road as the bright blue ocean gradually appeared up ahead.
The taste of the Sonoma sourdough bread spotted with soy and linseeds topped with homemade strawberry jam.
The awkward moments between the cheek kiss/half hug when greeting someone.
Sprinting down the never-ending escalator to catch the train to work.
Waltzing through the cobblestone ‘rocks’ historic district after work.
The accents and sarcastic sense of humor.
The zoo to balmoral hike ending with lunch at Bather’s Pavilion.
Long friday lunches.
Swishing around in Sydney harbor on the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly beach.
The mist from the ocean hitting the rocks on the Bondi coastal walk.
Strolling through the hand crafted gems at Paddington markets on a Saturday.
Morning summer runs followed by a cool swim in the ocean.
A refreshing ‘Three Sheets’ beer at Lord Nelson’s brewery.
The unbelievably true-blue water surrounding the city.

Phew, much better.