I will be sneaking away for the next week to enjoy Christmas with my family. (Honestly, I love what I do so much that I won’t really sneak away, I’ll probably still publish one or two posts, but they are written so I kind of am having a break!)

Today I am meeting up with my younger sister in Clovelly Hotel for a fun Sunday Session. She has flown in from Perth for Chrissy. I am excited to spend a few days with her.

I have semi-truck loads of gratitude to end 2012.

This time last year, I was in hospital having an operation. I slept through most of Christmas Day and was in a terrible state; I was pretty scared. I started 2012 wondering if my dream life would ever arrive, or if I was the world’s most foolish woman for believing it could.  The hit to my health made me re-evaluate everything and promise myself that I would do better.

It took four operations, but the Doc pretty much gave me the all clear last week. This past year I have improved my eating choices, lost 12 kilos, and now exercise because I love it. I’m fitter and healthier than I’ve been in a long time (although need more sleep).

My mind is also much clearer. And despite all my hard work and challenges I am happy.

I am finally spending my days doing what I love. What a difference it makes to your life when you wake every day doing what you want to do. I understand the soul sucking pain that comes when that alarm goes off reminding you to go to a job you hate. I’m so glad I fought through the shit to get rid of that morning gloom to replace it with bloom!

You can see our travel highlights for 2012– you know that travel makes my heart sing louder than anyones.

This past year I made so many amazing new friendships and continued on with many old. I’ve had beautiful people enter my life who have taught me so much and supported me in many ways and have given us wonderful opportunities. Thank you for believing in us. My gratitude runs so deep.

Finally towards the end of the year I fell back in love with Australia again. It was a hard battle to accept her back into my life. I am so so so lucky to be Australian. I know coming back here was the best choice for us. Profound gratitude.

I am so blessed and thankful to have such wonderful family who have helped and supported us in so many ways.  And this year, my two beautiful nieces, Brooklyn and Charleise were born. My older sister and Craig’s younger sister have given beautiful cousins for our girls to play with. My own girls continue to delight me and I fall in love with them even more every day (even the days where they have me running for the gin!)

And of course my gratitude can never be expressed well enough for my beautiful readers, both here and on y travel blog. I still can’t believe people even read my writing! I just hope I can continue to give value and inspire you.

 

You have inspired me in so many ways and lifted me up every time I have felt like quitt

ing or felt down, and you don’t even know it.

Just tonight I was in a funky down on myself mood and two beautiful readers and friends, Vanessa and Caroline shouted out a lovely message to me on Twitter. It instantly boosted my spirits.

Make the effort to express a positive and kind word out loud, you just never know whose spirit you may raise up as a result.

On Friday we saw the dawn of the new era. The new Mayan Calendar has started, the one in which the world gets better. The one in which we come to realize that the more we help one another, the happier we are and the more we prosper.

It’s everyone’s year next year.

It’s each person’s time to prosper and live the life they were born to live.

Let’s keep the heads held high and keep believing in your magic.

Thank you Thank you Thank you

and Merry Christmas.