I’ve been super busy, but I’ve missed my little blog.

I have so much to share, but don’t want to overwhelm.

So, lets just say:

The wedding was AMAZING

Our Hawaii holiday was PERFECT (but too short!)

I have a new job in the WINE industry!

I’ve had the last WEEK off work after exhaustion set in

I’m working on REDEFINING what I want to do with my hours

And, in the last few short months, almost all of my female friends have gone completely INSANE either having babies or TTC (Except me. And happily so!)

I’m writing some more in-depth posts about the wedding, our reception party at home, the state of our house and my thrifty projects, my novel progress, the best brownie recipe ever, some time hacks I’ve discovered, and some other cool stuff. See you round!

After 19 hours of flying, no sleep and stopping over in sydney, we finally arrived at Honolulu airport. First stop: The Cheesecake Factory. Yum! Had a great lunch, a big walk around the city to stretch our flying legs, and back to the hotel. We sat down intending to watch TV, fell asleep and slept for 16 hours!

The next day, refreshed, we set off to explore Oahu. We rented a Mustang convertible and went for a road trip around the island, which was amazing. We stopped to see the sights…

and for some delicious garlic butter shrimp at Romys…

followed by the obligatory starbucks visit for me

On Sunday we flew to Maui, to begin our stay at the aromatherapy foundation in Makawao. I’ll keep updating the blog to show what we’re up to, but right now I need some Z’s!

So….11 days till the big day in Maui. And only 7 sleeps till we jump onto that big plane in search of paradise.

It feels surreal, like its not really going to happen.

I guess maybe thats because its all so different to normal life – travelling tosuch a beautiful place, exchanging vows just the two of us, and looking forward to Cheesecake factory peach bellini’s, snorkelling with giant turtles and the chance to shoot an AK-47.

Yeah…pretty different to the normal grind

I’ve had this blog up and running for a while now, but I’ve never really known what to do with it. I write every now and then, but the truth is most things seem to slip through my fingers before I think to document them here. I guess a part of my problem is I wonder whether things like recipes or house projects or what I did today posts are exciting enough to write about.

And yet, on the other hand, I’m obsessed with other blogs that do just that. abeachcottage, apricot-tea, yourwishcake, kylaroma, moreisbetter, confessions of a jersey girl, edge of thirty, and so much more. I’ve always shied away from having one of those types of blogs and I don’t know why.

Maybe, its because I don’t think my own life is interesting enough to share with the world. Well, dear readers, I’ve decided that I don’t care anymore! I’m just going to write about what’s happening on any given day, and I hope you find at least some of what I have to say worth a read.

We all have dreams.

Sometimes, they pan out. We go to college and study amazing things like film and creative writing. We travel the world and see places that we’ve dreamed about our whole lives. We buy a house and fill it with reminders of our dreams, and then proceed to list a hundred reasons why we can’t go after these dreams. Not sure what I mean? Here’s some classic examples:

1. “I can’t afford it”. Why can’t you afford to be happy and spend all day working on things you are passionate about? Is it because that shiny car in the driveway is chewing up your disposable income? Is it because society told you that working in a shitty beige cubicle is the thing to do, because everyone does it? Is it because you’ve maxed out your credit cards spending money on things like food, alcohol, entertainment and throw-away items to distract yourself from the growing resentment you are feeling towards your life?
2. “I’m not good enough”. This one is especially popular for the female population. We can all be guilty of focusing on our shortfalls instead of highlighting our strengths. We are fantastic at talking ourselves out of our dreams. Its scary to stop being a cubicle zombie to pursue something that we really care about, because what if we fail? Or even worse, what if we ditch everything to follow this dream and then decide we don’t want it any more?
3. “I don’t have time”. Yes, you do. I do, we all do. Think about this: Unless someone discovers the secret to immortality, nobody reading this is going to see the next century. We’ll be gone. Our time to live is so short. What do you want to do with that short amount of time? Do you want to be Cubicle Zombie who drinks and eats too much, lazes around and watches re-runs of The Simpsons instead of chasing your dreams?
4. “I don’t know where to start”. This is a legitimate concern, and it is OK to feel this way, as long as you come up with a way of solving this problem before you’re in the nursing home. Dreams can be overwhelming, because they are more than just a statement of “I want to do this”. Dreams are felt as much as thought, and they can be all over the place. The trick is to start, because starting is the hardest part. Baby steps make the journey easier – take a course, draw a mind-map, read a book, write a business plan. Do something. Do anything.
5. “It’s all too hard”. Well, it is if you say so. If you really want to achieve your dreams, stop saying this! Reality is just perception. Overcome this belief and anything is possible.

All too often I speak to people who are letting fear stop them from making the leap to achieving their dreams. Like a friend who is all set up to be a photographer. She has the equipment, the skills and the savvy, but doesnt have the confidence to break out of her 9-5 and pursue her passion full-time. She’s effectively talked herself out of it by thinking of all the reasons her plan won’t work, instead of focusing on all the fabulous reasons it will succeed.

I’m another classic example. When I think of all the distractions I create to avoid thinking about my dreams, it makes me mad. TV. Social outings that I don’t really care to attend. Food. Alcohol. Hours surfing the net aimessly. Did I mention TV? I mean, those Winchester boys are delicious, but I have got to turn Supernatural off and get to work on what really matters – my life. Not some made up show that serves as a distraction from my current work situation.And that means focusing on the things that matter – my writing, my business, my relationship.

So, dear readers, this post is just as much for me as it is for you. Today, I’m committing to a new strategy. No TV. No alcohol. Saying no to social gatherings that I’d just as soon miss. The internets – I love you, but we need some time apart. It’s time to stop talking and start doing.

What about you?