Twelve months ago, I was a bundle of nerves...
And stress...
And panic...
And "oh my god, what am I doing?"
Twelve months ago, to this date, I packed a small, ok, very large suitcase and hopped on a plane with a man I'd known for a mere 9 months and disembarked on a journey. While I was scared, nervous, sad, stressed and panicked, deep down I knew it was the right thing to do.
I remember saying goodbye to my family, the feeling of sadness and loneliness wash over me instantly. I remember the panic I felt saying goodbye to my friend at the airport. But most of all, I remember the resentment I felt towards my Frenchy for taking me away from them.
Once I stepped onto the plane, I felt empty. I didn't know what I was doing, where I was going and how I could survive without my family and friends.
It wasn't until our final descent into Paris, that I finally started to feel excited. Excited to see Paris again, excited to explore more of France and excited to see the home town of the man I love.
I was fortunate to be welcomed into the life of my Frenchy. I met all his wonderful family and an endless stream of friends, but I felt like I belonged. Despite the language barrier, it felt right to be there. Over the months, I improved my French, explored many places and had the most fun I've had in a long time.
And then the money train ended.
After an amazing 4 months of exploring, relaxing and eating French cuisine, it was time to start working again. So, we packed up our stuff and got on the next bus to London. Within a week of arriving in London, we both had work, somewhere to live and a new place to explore.
Over the months, we explored the top tourist spots in London, hunted for the best coffee in London and enjoyed our time together. But then the London life took over. We started seeing less and less of each other, working too much and slowly lost our energy to explore the finer things in London.
My twelve months abroad have been amazing. I've explored many places in France, discovered Barcelona, drank beer in Munich and met so many wonderful people along the way.
What I've learned from my year abroad:
1. Appreciate every moment with your family because you'll miss them as soon as you take off.
2. Enjoy the small things in life, because sometimes they turn out to be the big things.
3. Don't stop exploring. The minute you do, the inspiration will stop.
4. Money isn't everything. As long as you have someone to love you, a roof over your head and some food in your belly, everything else doesn't matter.
Where to next?
After a quick stop in France, it's time to get back on board a plane headed for Australia. It's time for my Frenchy to explore the rest of Australia (with me of course) and it's time for me to see my family and friends again.
