We're well into 2019 and this year has been pretty busy to say the least, as I am currently travelling! If you fancy seeing and hearing more about that then head on over

HERE

. Settled in bali for the next few weeks and with wifi good enough to actually surf the internet at leisure, I thought it was the perfect time to reflect on last year...

What. A. Year. There were a few bumps in the road but overall 2018 was been one of the biggest and best yet. As you most likely know, I moved to Sydney with one of my dearest pals back in the December of 2017 and could never have predicted how the year would unfold in a work, friend and love capacity.

I worked for two established companies, one PR agency and then the iconic swimwear brand Seafolly, both employment stints allowed me to learn so much about the Australian market in the area of PR, communications and fashion wholesale. Definitely a winning year in regards to spicing up my CV! When you are travelling on a working holiday visa you are only allowed to work for one company for 6 months at a time unless you get sponsored. Not gaining sponsorship was actually a blessing (it might not have felt it at the time) and having the opportunity to see my year out with two great companies was a real bonus.

The big move has really highlighted how important true friendships are. I know I’ll get back to London and run straight into the arms of the mates I left behind and squeeze them that bit tighter, because one thing I have learnt is that good friends are hard to find. Talking of good friends, the two solid friendships I have back in Sydney (you know who you are ladies!) are one of the main reasons I feel pangs of sadness about leaving. At the end of the day they are the reason I switched up my life, was able to find true love and gain even more life experience, and for that I’ll be forever indebted and grateful. All I can say is, thank god for voice notes.

Love: I found it! FML what a journey. I was such a singleton back in the day… all the swipe rights, all of the hilarious stories and wouldn’t have changed any of it for the world. Those fun years made me all the more sure that I was ready to settle, let someone in and start a new chapter. He is and it is absolutely amazing.

So, with that little life overview out the way, I wanted to share some things I learnt from the big move. If travel or a move to Sydney is on your agenda, my one piece of advice is just go for it. Fate will find you and it will be amazing, life changing and character shaping.

Have no expectations and be ready for anything

You really don't know how things will shape out, it's great to have a plan of course, but sometimes when you make such a big life decision it's best to let things roll and not get too caught up in plans not going exactly how you imaginied them.

Do your research 

Read and take in as much as you can about the area you're relocating too; ask people who have done it before, reach out to Insta friends who live in the parts you're heading too, look at geo tags on Instagram, ask about rent and bill costs, best streets to live on, transport links, weather throughout the year. Just check out as much as you can and it's definitely worth shouting out to people online, even if you don't know them! Somethings really surprised me about Sydney, you can read all about them

HERE

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To travel more and explore what’s on your own doorstep 

One thing that Sydney has taught me is to explore more. Having Europe on my doorstep was something I always took for granted when I was back in the UK, to be able to hop on a plane and be in a different country in less that 2 hours is a real treat and something I'll definitely make the most of when I touch back down in London. Of course, the normal person can't just gallivant off to Spain every weekend but I'll definitely make sure I keep my eyes peeled on groupon deals and cheap plane tickets. Australia is so far away from anything so us Brits really are lucky to be able to experience such different landscapes and cultures at such a short distance. Also, what I loved about Oz was the road trips, hiring a car and heading off up the coast camping was always super fun - I'll also make sure to explore what's going on in the UK more too. I haven't even been to Scotland!

Be prepared for things to be different and be open minded

Being opened minded really is the key. I would often find myself saying 'really, oh well in London we do this' blah blah blah. Of course things will be different, behind or just not what you're used to doing or seeing, it is a different part of the bloody world after all. Things being different is actually the whole idea, the fun of it all, the eye opening experience - so go forth and be ready to embrace the change.