And we're away...

Today’s the day

Sydney, Australia: 14 February 2020

Well, here it is. The day that it’s actually happening. The day that I’m heading off on this big adventure.

I feel surprisingly calm. I haven’t travelled a lot but whenever I do I like to be super organised and always feel really anxious in the lead up, and all the way until I’m at my hotel, if I’m honest.

But not today. Today I feel calm. Like this is my life - the right life.

I wake up at a friend’s house. This is one of the tricky and wonderful things about being single. You often need to ask for help, but when you do you find out how many wonderful people you have around you. Being single allows me to connect really closely with people, especially my single girlfriends. We’re all in this together, we understand what’s tricky about single life and like to help each other. So thank you, Samantha Murray, for always being a dear friend and for being the place I started my adventure.

Next stop storage. This is a new area of expertise - living life out of the three by three shed. It was daunting at first, and I cried many a tear realising I had nowhere to take all my things. There was a time in my life when being able to have nice things was all I ever hoped for. Not having a ‘home’ really feels like a new chapter, where I’m ready to value other things. Where I truly believe I can have a home if I want one, which means I don’t need to so desperately cling to one.

The airport’s a breeze. I’m early, but I’m slightly disorganised so it’s just as well. I have gifts to get. Money to exchange (oooff - and didn't exchanging at the airport hurt).

Another achievement today - no airport wine. No airport sparkling wine, no airport gin, no airport alcohol at all. On 20 December I signed up with One Year No Beer, committing to 365 days without alcohol. The airport would usually be a place I’d be waiting to arrive at to have a champagne or two. Not today. Life is way too exciting right now. Proud moment - I had green juice instead.

Boarded, had a great seat in a half full plane (thanks to a previous Board position that made me a Gold Frequent Flyer).  I’m not sure where Day 1 and Day 2 start and finish as we cross the date line., but movies, and sparkling water - come at me!

SYD to DFW on Valentine’s Day 2020. There are blue skies ahead. Photo by Raf Jabri via Canva.

Sydney airport - no alcohol. Not something I’ve done before but at 59 days alcohol free, green juice it was. Photo by Belle Co, via Canva.