100 Days in Paradise
17/08/18 –
‘I’m scared about returning home because I’m not sure whether life will ever be this good again’
My eyes were misty as I stared out the window of my plane taking me back to my old home.
I wrote these words in my journal as I contemplated my life & where I would go from here.
I spent the first half of this year living in Europe and was reflecting on my way back to Australia.
My lifestyle in The Netherlands was one I was sad to leave behind -
For the first time in my life I felt truly free, I had an incredible bunch of friends and we lived in a community where everyone thrived.
I lived on my own schedule — gone were the standard pressure of bills, work or the little arguments that seemed an inevitable part of daily life.
This was the first time I’d experienced such freedom
I was truly happy
As we sat on the lawn that became our sanctuary in The Netherlands we kept truly asking ourselves — ‘could life get any better than this?’
I was living in Utopia
I lived in a cosmopolitan village, I now have friends from Canada, South America & all over Europe.
Our days would consist of arbitrary classes before we’d return home.
We played volleyball, went for bike rides exploring our historic European city or cooked communal dinners on the barbecues with flavours from around the world.
Life was bliss.
Our dilemma’s epitomised the phrase ‘first world problems’.
My daily decision was deciding whether I was going to drink Pitt Beer or Heineken (If you ever go to the Netherlands, try a Pitt Beer & let me know what you think)
The second hardest question of the night was which bar we were going to head too –
I truly didn’t have a care in the world
Every week we’d get together and the only squabbles we had were what country we were going to travel too on the weekend…
It might seem like I was wasting my time gallivanting around Europe partying but the reality is the complete opposite.
I have never (and may never again) experience a period of such sustained personal growth
I learnt so much about myself by consistently stepping out of my comfort zone
I travelled to over 20 countries this year & ticked so many things off my bucket list.
I was front row for the World Cup as we travelled around Russia, I camped & watched the sunrise in the Sahara desert and I’ve snowboarded down the French Alps.
I couldn’t imagine how life could get any better
It’s why, as I sat on that plane heading back to Australia I had tears running down my cheeks.
I had so much to live for and I missed everyone back home, however I couldn’t imagine that life would get better.
At 22 years of age, I was scared that I’d already reached my peak…
Life may never be the same but it can always get better
As I’ve settled back into life back at home I’ve been taken aback by how good life is.
I might not be going out as much and my weekly travel schedule has been replaced by trips to the gym as I work off the sins of Europe however — life is really good.
I’ve realised the value of a good daily routine and a community of people around you that you love.
I might not be jet-setting around the wold, however I’ve had the opportunity to achieve so much while I’ve been back home.
I’m a big believer that travelling is the best investment we can make…
However the investment we are making is in ourselves as we see the world & understand situations with new perspectives.
Fresh eyes in familiar settings will lead to new results.
Since I’ve returned home, I’ve completed half-marathons, competed in the state-championships of my chosen sport & my charity that I founded continues to develop.
None of these would have been possible without the perspective I gained overseas.
I know that travelling is fun, however achieving my goals is even better.
I’ve fallen in love for the first time in my life and am grateful for the girl I have by my side.
I’m travelling overseas again this week & have a move up to Sydney next week.
My plans may not be as grand or exciting, however I truly am grateful.
Before I flew over, I wrote a single line at the top of my journal –
‘Develop the platform for you to return and achieve all your goals’
I’ve been able to do that and then some.
I’m content with what I have while working towards what I want.
I’ve learnt about the value of hard-work and how joyous life can be.
I was guilty of chasing fun times & the coolest experiences.
I now understand the value of growing with others and learning from those around us.
Our stories are written with people and not things.
It’s been 100 days since I’ve been home and even though I thought life may never be that good again.
I’ve been surprised because life’s been better.
100 days in paradise complete.
I can’t wait to see where the next 100 days take me.
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore”
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I’ll be writing regularly, providing perspectives on a variety of issues & exploring the big questions that we all share.
