This is it.

My final night overseas.

I'm in Paris. It's bliss.

Thank you to all who have made my year abroad so special. You know who you are.

See you on the flip side (Down Under?!)

I like...

Ooh, September has been a slim month blogwise. Did I mention that I was patting cats across Canada and the USA? Getting lost in secondhand bookshops? Burying my nose in flowers?

Yes. It's been a good month.

Anyway, time for some stuff I dig right now!

• Paw prints in set concrete (and bird prints are pretty sweet too).


• Using the Notes function on my phone. I use it for everything: places to check out in a new city, books to read, life goals, dinner recipes. Now that I've changed it from the default comic sans (ew), we have a very productive relationship.


• Capsicum (bell pepper) in sandwiches. It's crispy and tangy and delicious.


• Coloured pens. They're a bit juvenile I know, but I really like updating my diary with a purple gel pen or an emerald green erasable!


• Having the exact change for the bus. Bliss.

All picked in the lane behind my friend's house. Yum!

• Wild blackberries - but watch out for the prickles! The West Coast was insane for these. YUM!


• The rich, green aroma of forests. Breathe deep.

Right near Beaver Lake in Vancouver.



• Reorganizing the apps on my phone. It feels oddly fresh.


• Related: the app from xe.com (currency exchange) - how did it take me this long (and so many countries) to download it? It works offline!


• Vancouver radio station, The Peak. I hope I can stream it when back home!


• And finally, trying new podcasts. I'm really enjoying Welcome to Night Vale. Perfect for when I want a bit of human company but am too shy to talk to anyone whilst travelling.

Any snippets of happiness you fancy sharing? The next Like List will be from homebase, Australia!

Reluctant

My friends,

You may have noticed some hesitance to post these last few months. Technology notwithstanding (how do other bloggers successfully use their tablets to post? Am I missing something?), I have been reluctant to post lately as I worry about gloating. The Australian self-effacing Tall Poppy thing.

Because if I'm being completely honest? This year has been absolutely amazing.

Sure, there have been some low days and tricky situations, but these have been few and far between.

I have grown so strong these last 12 months. In every way. I'd like to think that I'm in a really healthy place mentally, and able to bounce back to my happy equilibrium after setbacks. My confidence is back (yes, it had disappeared). I am adventurous, curious and enthusiastic about the world around me. My biceps are rippling after carting my backpack all over Japan, Europe and North America.

I have had incredible adventures. I acknowledge just how lucky I am, and am grateful to all the people who have been a part of it. You know who you are.

At the end of the day though, this is my blog, and this is (part of) who I am. If you get tired of my optimism and find my posts too saccharine, that's okay! But I shouldn't let my perceptions of others' opinions affect what I want to write on my blog.

So here we are. I'm in New York for my 27th birthday weekend. I fly to Iceland again, for the fifth time, on Wednesday to be with my handsome Viking for a week. I'm booking an adorable studio apartment for a final long weekend in Paris. And then I'm back home, reunited with my family, friends and cat friend exactly one year after it all began. I have a whole summer to enjoy before I start a new job at the end of January. My boyfriend is coming over for Christmas. I'm going to find a cosy apartment, just for me for next year. So much goodness; so much happiness.

I am blessed.

Thank you for being part of these adventures.

Thank you for still reading even though posting is spotty.

Thank you for being supportive and not thinking I'm a smug jerk.

See you soon.