Christmas went by in a blur of great food, for some reason beer pong (that was new), presents, family, and love. I don’t know whether it was the time away from everyone (I hadn’t seen my immediate family in 5 months and don’t start me on the COVID induced extended family separation) or just the spirit of the holiday but it was one of my favourite Christmasses for sure. I really believe this pandemic has given me a much greater appreciation for the people in my life and just being able to spend time with them, something I will never take for granted again.
My sister Claire and her partner Paddy were planning to go down to visit some friends and family in Tasmania and offered their house in Melbourne to us if we wanted some time in the city. We jumped at the opportunity and quickly organised to have a little dinner party with our friends from Brisbane, Chantelle and Ash, who were also in Melbourne at just the right time. On the 28th we said our temporary goodbyes and got back in the van to drive to the city stopping in at Healesville Sanctuary to see their amazing free flight show.
Our first day in Melbourne was very relaxing and consisted of a long walk to buy some bread, wandering the streets with no particular plan, and watching Matt shoot some bad guys on the Play Station. The next day we got up and had breakfast and then walked into town to Victoria Market to get the ingredients that I needed for our dinner party. I had a fabulous time walking around the stalls, looking at all the amazing produce, and picking out the best things for dinner. Once we were back at the house I sat around for a little while and then got stuck into cooking. Chantelle and Ash showed up and we sat around talking and laughing while I put the finishing touches on the fresh prawn pasta and salad. It was a fantastic night.
We drove back to my aunt and uncles house the next day so that we could celebrate New Years eve together. I surprised myself by managing to stay awake until the countdown and brought in the new year by kissing Matt and getting hugs from my family. I can’t remember the last time I managed to stay up past midnight. As I closed my eyes I thought about what I wanted for the next year and the following 5 years. When I quit my job as a care manager I completely changed my 5 year plan and the more I’ve travelled and spent time with my own thoughts the more I’ve realised that I don’t want to prioritise work any more and I definitely don’t want to do a job that drains me of energy so badly I can’t do the things I love when I have free time. I decided to start 2022 by putting in an application to UTAS to study exercise science.
Matt and Annie's Adventure 