My last week in Oz was good as usual. It was bittersweet to have my last day taking care of Emily, she was so much fun to take care of! The new nanny gets her in a really fun time now that she'll start walking and talking and such, so I'm sad to miss all that.
My last Saturday was pretty chill but very nice. We went into the city and went on the free river ferry which and I never knew about haha. It was quite relaxing and the weather was perfect. I just sat on top of the ferry and enjoyed on the sun on my face. After the ferry ride we just walked around in the city for a bit, then took some pictures up at Kangaroo Point which is where my first picture with Emily on my first day was taken. Yeah...on the way home from the airport when I had food poisoning hahaha. This time was much more pleasant :)
My family. :)
LOVE THIS.
Coming home was exhausting but I was excited for it. Again, it was all bittersweet, a lot like coming home from the mission because you're excited about the future but sad that this chapter is ending. Australia was good to me. I had AMAZING experiences and got to do it all for me. Maybe it was selfish and irresponsible of me to go and spend all my money, and it hasn't put me in the easiest of positions since being home, but IT WAS WORTH IT IN EVERY WAY. Traveling and seeing new places is something that I have grown to love doing. So this was for me. I got to do and see so much. I met wonderful people. I gained a new family. I become more independent. I learned more about a different part of the world. How amazing!!!
So after being home for a few weeks now, it's been a challenge in a lot of ways and many things still aren't figured out. But I know they will be. Things always fall into place, however quickly or slowly that tends to happen.
I stayed in California for a week and a half, went to my dad's wedding, bought a car and learned to drive stick shift (finally), spent time with my mom, sisters, nieces, and nephews (including apple picking and karate class), drove to Utah, and moved to Springville. It's been just a continuation of my adventures in a different way, and it's been fun stuff. Hopefully in the next week or two I will have guaranteed some employment and have a better handle on my finances. I have started observing at a mental hospital for occupational therapy hours, and so the journey of grad school applications will hopefully commence shortly.
There is a lot on my mind. It has gotten a bit overwhelming at times to try and keep everything in there that I need to do. But we're not perfect. Things don't always go the way we want. I'm trying to be patient...the joys of moving to a new place. AGAIN. I keep doing that...hopefully I'll get into a grad school for next year and I won't move around for awhile after that. :)
Yesterday was a great day. The whole week I've been trying to balance job hunting, actually working for this transcribing job thing I have, figuring out car insurance stuff, among other things, but yesterday was a day off from all that. In the morning I went with my roommate to the BYU girls rugby game to see a mission friend play. We won and it was way fun to watch, even though I still don't know the rules of rugby very well. Tn in the afternoon we did a spontaneous roommate hike, going up to Stewart Falls by Sundance. INCREDIBLE AND BEAUTIFUL. I couldn't believe how gorgeous the leaves were...I had heard about the fall colors for many years but had never journeyed up the canyon to see them myself, and I"m so glad I finally did. The hike was fun and the scenery unbeatable.
RED MOON. We stayed up Tuesday night/Wednesday morning to see the lunar eclipse with some people from the ward.
Those colors and those mountains. Perfect morning in Provo.
And here's our hike in the canyon.
Just another one of those days where I completely fell in love with nature. Again.
