A Chapter Comes to an End

It has finally arrived, the day I finish at Billabong...well it was 2 days ago now.

While the day bought me great excitement, it also bought great sadness.  I spent the last 6 years working beside many people, whom I now call good friends.  As in any company, there were good and bad days, good and bad people and good and bad decisions - but you know what, I'd do it all again in the blink of an eye.  I still find it hard to believe that so many great people were in the one place.   And they all spoilt me rotten - I felt extremely special.

I've been trying to work out why I'm feeling so flat about the whole leaving work thing, when I should be bouncing out of bed and eager to do everything on my (fast growing) lists.  After thinking about it, I think it's the feeling that I'm no longer a part of something.  But I've decided that instead of looking backwards, it's now time to thank the universe for allowing me to have been part of something so special and turn my sights to the future and start working towards all the wonderful things we are going to be experiencing.

Today is the first day that I've actually had to myself - and I've got so many things on my list I don't know where to start.  Like many productive days, it's starting off with a little procrastination... but I have started the exercise routine again - so things are looking good : )

We near the finish line... at work anyway

I'm now a week out from my last day at work, and as you can imagine, getting extremely excited!  

It's such a strange feeling after working full time for the majority of my adult life.  With this excitement naturally comes a little apprehension .. for a moment anyway .. then the excitement comes over me in a wave (like a tsunami!!) and I'm ready for what the universe may send my way.  Bring it on I say!!

Our unit is still sitting lonely - ready for someone to come and love it as much as we did.  I am confident that it will be snatched up very soon.  

In the meantime, we've been keeping very busy with the caravan.  Aaron had his first go at backing the caravan down the driveway - which I might add is not your normal straight driveway - we're talking steep, winding road - with steep embankments down one side.  I must say, rather proudly, he did pretty darn good  - and managed to get it down in one go.  It's now sitting just next to our shed that we're living in now - together with many spiders and insects.  I am still amazed at how much of a spider web magnet I am - no matter where they may be hiding, no matter who has walked before me, I ALWAYS seem to end up swinging my arms like a mad woman trying to get the spider webs off me .. I can only imagine how ridiculous I look!  In the 2 days the caravan has been parked outside our shed (rather than up the top of the driveway), we have already taken all the doors off, pulled the wall out near the door and checked all the lighting.

We've now made a list (which is much, much longer than anticipated!!!) of things to fix and buy before we set off on our adventure... so far we've managed to tick a few off, which is quite satisfying :)

So after next week, I will be a housewife, looking after my husband and getting all ready for our trip.. which will now be a few months later than first anticipated.. but gives us longer to prepare .. yay!  Life is good.. no, life is great!!

New Year .. comes with mixed emotions

We saw the New Year's in with some very good friends - what a blast!  2010 was a huge year for us - among many other things, we got married and we made the decision to take our lives in our hands and we chose to live it - big!

The first day of the year saw us moving from our unit (which is still on the market *insert frowny face here*...) to my Mum and Dad's..  what an emotional ride.  While I'm super excited about what 2011 brings, it also brings a close to the past - filled with many, many memories.  It means that we no longer live a 15 minute walk from the beach, nor the little convenience store up the road that we used to frequent...very often.  We now live a 15 minute drive from the closest shops - so no doubt will prove to be a very effective money saving tool for us!

There's such mixed emotions - one moment I'm high as a kite thinking that we've taken that next step to our year (or so) on the road, the next I'm thinking about our unit and how much I will miss it and what it has given me over the past 4 years - but rather than think of what we've not got anymore, I'm choosing to remember the good times, thanking the universe for everything it bought me over the years and focusing on all the new memories we are going to make in 2011.

Stay tuned .. and follow up on our adventures for 2011

Progress...one step at a time

Everyone's saying the same thing.. "this year has absolutely flown by, where has the time gone?"
The beginning of the year seems like only yesterday, and so vividly too.  I can only hope the next few years go much slower - so we can savour every moment!

We spent the 2010 Christmas with our families together at the Cooper house, as we weren't sure where we'd be next year.  We all sat around the Christmas tree speculating where Aaron and I would be this time next year - from Tassie to WA.... everyone had a different location.  I had quiet smile to myself thinking how wonderful it would be if our families started their own adventures, and were with us at Christmas next year - all sharing stories of the journey over to where we were.

After 'putting his foot down' and being adamant that he was going to be resting on the couch for the whole of Christmas, Aaron decided that he should be doing something and proceeded to "inspect" the caravan.  Knowing Aaron all too well, we all looked at each other and said, "He's going to rip out the caravan"... a few hours later, he came back down to the house... with a grin on his face, and announced..."So we don't have too much left in the caravan".. I walked up to the caravan, to be met by a pile of rubbish outside the caravan.. the old concertina doors, the bed base, splash backs... all sorts of bits and pieces that had been deemed unnecessary.

By the time we left for our home, this pile had tripled in size!

Where the bed base once stood (also the mirror on the wall)

The kitchen... complete with beer...

In the rains, we found one leak - which for the age of the caravan, was quite impressive

We now get into the exciting part (not that the planning and everything else to do with this new adventure hasn't been), deciding how we're going to be fitting out the caravan.  There will no doubt be many changes and much speculation on what will work best - it will be interesting to be at the end of the project and see how many of the initial ideas we followed through with.

 

Our New Home...

After trawling the internet for days on end, Aaron came upon our new home by chance.. fate perhaps?  Tucked up in the far corner of a used boat/caravan yard, he found our little gem.  It's may not be the best looking dog in the line up . . . but it has potential . . . and at the low, low price of $7,750, who could resist.  


It's an 18ft, dual axle 1992 Traveller and with a few personal touches, she's going to look like new.  Everything we weren't looking for in a caravan, we found - we originally had our checklist of pop-top, 16ft and a single axle .. we ended up with a hard-top, 18ft and a dual axle - with a hell of a lot of space!  


The interior is screaming 90's at the moment, but with some new curtains & cushions, new laminex and the changing of a few lights - I think we're going to be traveling in style.  


We pick her up next week, so the maiden voyage down the highway will be quite interesting.  Although it's only slightly bigger than our fishing boat, which Aaron has no trouble towing, it will be a challenge to get the feel of it on the road.  I have selfishly nominated Aaron for all the driving - I told him I might be able to drive.. on the straight stretches.. like the Nullabor Plain ... maybe!

Unit for sale

Before we head off on our journey, we are selling our unit.  We have spent many, many hours renovating her - and we have finally finished her.  She looks amazing & I just hope that someone falls in love with her and enjoys her as much as we have.   Here's to a quick sale xx

Day One ...

Today was the first day of the adventure of a lifetime.  With hundreds of butterflies in my stomach and with five and a half years of memories made, I gave my notice of resignation. 


What a liberating feeling - I have never felt so ecstatic while feeling so scared at the same time.  My husband and I have decided that we are not the ones to put half a million dollars into a home in a place that isn't our dream town, or our dream home...  So we're embarking on a journey ... a journey to find a new life, a new beginning and a happy ending .. where we can start a family and enjoy life, with no limits.