Heading Down Under 🇦🇺 how were feeling...

Hi everyone, long time no speak/see(/blog?!) 🤣

Regardless of the time, I find myself starting to draft this blog post as I sit on the runway at London Gatwick, preparing to head off on another big adventure, this time to Australia! 🇦🇺🤩

 

This trip is quite different from my previous one in that it's significantly longer, slightly more living and working than holidays. This trip is mostly due to one main factor, Rhys (my partner) is heading HOME for the first time since moving to Scotland to be with me in 2019! So, in a weird way, it kind of feels like I'm heading home too, despite never having visited Australia before in my life! Eek! So, yes, very different from my other trips.

The last month has been a blurry whirlwind of excitement, anxiety, stress and anticipation, and lots and lots of packing 🙈 We moved out of our flat in Stornoway about a month ago, moving back in with my parents, have tried to sell some bits and pieces, and tidy the rest away (as neatly as possible) as my parent's house (which mum has since redone in my now empty room of course! 😅). We've also both been working right until the last minute which was stressful enough, however for me, being freelance meant that I had a lot of deadlines to finish off before leaving. Some of these I had to do before leaving my iMac in Galson, some that I took with me and finished in Edinburgh (where we've been staying with my sister for the past week), and some that I will finish in Oz (I know 🙈😅). Combine all this with also attempting to spend time with, and say 'see yah later', to as many of our family and pals as possible before we left, so yes, as I said, it has been a very busy, joyous, sad but mostly beautiful last couple of months!! I didn't photograph all these moments, but here are a few that I did ❤️ Missing my friends and family already! 

One of the questions I have been most asked about this big move is how my parents feel about 'the move'. I know people probably don't realise the weight of the question, but it is the hardest question to hear and answer, and I'm still tearing up a little writing about it just now. Of course, they are and will be a little upset by it all. Their eldest baby - who's also been home and close to them for the last 6 years since moving home to Lewis  - is moving to the other side of the world with her partner for an extended period of time, and with a semi-unknown return date. They're worried I may love it and stay (something, that might yet happen, who knows), I'm sure they've enjoyed having me close (why is that a bad thing 🤣 I sure enjoyed being close to them), and as I've said Oz very far away!  They are of course also supportive, and happy for us about what is an exciting new chapter for us, and they've done so so much to help us get there. But, to summarise, the short answer to this quite innocent question is they're both happy for us and sad we're gone 🥰 (So please know you're hitting a tender wee nerve there when asking this question, and maybe just assume the obvious - I miss my family and they miss me!😅🙈) 

Leaving 

Similarly, I've been feeling VERY polarised in my own feelings about moving away from them, and leaving home, and I think that is totally natural and normal for someone who has such a close and easy relationship with their parents. Over and above that, I also found it very polarising leaving Lewis and Scotland. This is for many reasons, mostly being away from the people, from my safety net, my familiar surroundings, and culture, as well as of course my work (and market) in particular as a freelancer, which I've worked very very hard on building over the last 5 years!

© ApertureLanePhotography 

That isn't to say that I'm not super excited to go to Oz with my partner, and meet his family and friends, and spend time in HIS place, because I very much am!  I've been granted a year long work travel visa which allows me to work while I'm here. I'm not technically allowed to work freelance but I'll do some photography work while I'm here for pocket money anyway ☺️ Were also hoping to see a bit of Australia while we're here too, hopefully get a vehicle and travel around the coast! At the moment we're just catching up with Rhys' friends and family, and getting settled into a new timezone and a different eating patterns 🙈 

My plan for the blog?

As I'm not 100% traveling as freely as I'd normally, both due to us working and my being here with Rhys, I more than likely won't be able to blog as regularly as I've done in the past but I do hope to write some monthly musings with updates and photos for anyone interested back home ☺️

For now, we've reached Australia safely (after 2 very long but smooth flights - London Gatwick > Doha {6.5hrs} Doha > Perth {11hrs}. We are spending a couple of days in and around Perth, seeing some of Rhys' family and friends, before heading south to where his mum lives and where we'll be based for the next couple of months. 

I'll post my next update once we're settled there but just wanted to say hello and start getting myself back into the habit of writing ☺️

Speak soon

Fiona & Rhys