Life, Love, Adventure and Travel

Writing about life, love, adventure and travel.

Here are my top 5 thoughts about what each of those four words mean to me.

LIFE

Sailing in the Whitsundays in 2012

1. I know how lucky I am to be here. After a serious health scare in 2010, I live my life to the full. No regrets.

2. Freedom. I feel blessed to have a partner and a job that both give me the freedom to do anything I choose in my life.

3.  Being Australian. To be born and raised in this country is a privilege. This truly is the lucky country and if you don’t believe that, take a look at what some others around the world have to contend with.

4. Making a difference. Over the past couple of years I have realised that we can truly make a difference in this world. Find something you are passionate about and give a little bit of yourself, whether it's donating your time or raising funds and awareness for something worthwhile. I am passionate about Animal Welfare and have raised in excess of $10,000.00 for charity.

5. Making things happen. Nothing is accidental in life. If you want something work hard, make plans and take the necessary steps to make it happen.

LOVE

My cousin Michelle, Dad and I at his 60th birthday in 2005

1. Stephen Bock. In every way. I love that he inspires me, encourages and supports me and loves me completely even when I am being utterly impossible.

2. My family. Especially Dad (sadly missed), Mum, my brother Steven, my sisters Katherine and Laura, my cousin Michelle and my Aunty Rozlyn. And of course the most amazing woman I know, Beryl Margaret Wood, my 92 year old grandmother.

3. Golden Retrievers. Especially Harley and Caesar but also the ones that have yet to enter my life.

4. Siberian Huskies. Especially Samson and Willow but also the ones that have yet to enter my life.

5. My friends. I love that I still have friends that I met when I was only eleven years old. I especially love my friends from school, Panthers, BridgeClimb and Qantas.

ADVENTURE

 Me trekking in Nepal in 2011

I like to think I have an adventurous spirit and I’m sure the following show that I do. Some have already been experienced, others are on my list.

1. Taking on challenges. Steve and I love to take part in various long distance events. I have completed Wild Endurance – a gruelling 100km hike in the Blue Mountains, trekked to Everest Base Camp, climbed a 5500m peak in Nepal and climbed Mt Agung, the highest point in Bali. On the list is the Camino de Santiago, running a marathon on every continent, hiking the GR20 in Corsica and so much more.

2. Learning to fly a plane. After reading ‘Til We Meet Again’ by Judith Krantz when I was a teenager this has always been a goal of mine. I will make it happen.

3. Riding a motorbike. I want to get my licence and zip around town in a scooter. The thought of this really scares me but I am determined to do it.

4. Yoga retreat in rural Spain. In September 2012 I had one of the best experiences of my life at a yoga and hiking retreat in the Asturias mountains in the north of Spain. The most adventurous thing about this was not so much the location but the fact that as a ‘non-yogi’ at the time I managed to do four hours of yoga every day for seven days.

5. Learning another language. French or Spanish – I’m not entirely sure which one I’ll choose. Perhaps to some this may not seem adventurous but I have always dreamt of living in a foreign country to learn a language. I think that constitutes an adventure. I’ve been talking about this for years. It’s time to make it happen.

TRAVEL

 The Qantas A380, my office

So many places to see and such a big list, but these are five destinations that are currently on my radar.

1. Africa in May/June 2014. Our itinerary includes Johannesburg, the Drakensberg Mountains, a Safari, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Cape Town, running the Big Five Marathon in South Africa and visiting Victoria Falls in Zambia.

2. Paris, Nice and London in August/September 2014 with Mum and my sisters Katherine and Laura.

3. Broome in December 2014. I’ve always wanted to visit this part of Western Australia. I will not miss my opportunity to ride a camel along Cable Beach.

4. The Camino de Santiago in April/May 2015. Walking 800km in 35 days, starting in the Pyrenees Mountains in France and heading across the top of Spain.

5. The Northern Lights in Lapland. We don’t have a date set for this yet but it remains high on the list. I cannot wait to see the Northern Lights, stay at the ICE Hotel and go dog sledding with huskies in memory of our darlings Samson and Willow.