This marks 1 Month in Australia! Week 4 in my Australian life.

Another memorable week in my gap year! This week marks a month in Australia. I am absolutely shocked that times passes this fast. But I’ll be making sure to enjoy every moment while it lasts. I sure did that this week. It was full of adventures and trying new things! I am still so grateful for getting the opportunity to take a gap year and explore all that I can.

Monday, 2 March

This was a really chilled day for me. I woke up and talked to my dad for a while before going on a long walk through the local shops etc. My mission was to show gratitude today. I bought Mags some flowers to show her how much she means to me. She made this whole experience for me possible and has showed me nothing but love since I’ve arrived in Australia. I then went to the office as that is my main reason for being here: work and life experience. I learned a couple of new things on Xero, the accounting software and later that day did some of my own research. I wanted to end the day on a stress free note as I was feeling a bit anxious and home sick and went for my first hot yoga class. And let me tell you, I’ve never sweat that much in my entire life! But I would love to go again. It’s a different type of challenge than my usual weight training. I then talked to my mom. A popular topic of course is the Corona virus(lol). We talked about the possibilities of me not being able to travel later on if they decide to start closing international borders. Hopefully I would be able to make it home by then. We had a nice dinner and watched Married at first sight Au. My recent guilty pleasure.

Tuesday, 3 March

I woke up at 5 and talked to my family for a while. I got dressed, grabbed me a coffee and went to the beach for a sunrise. As the weather was really bad this week I was a bit dissapointed when I didn’t get a colourful sunrise and was met with dark grey clouds everywhere. I decided to stay for a while and admire my view still. A walk to the beach to start off the day is the best feeling ever. We walked around a bit that morning after taking Mags’ son to school( as we do most mornings). And then I did some work. Went home quickly and then off to the gym for a nice sweaty session. I ended off by practicing my splits again( got to do something to achieve those goals). I got picked up because of the stormy weather. We had a cozy evening enjoying Married at first sight and Shitts Creek.

Wednesday, 4 March

I woke up, talked to my family and then had a morning gym session before my 9 to 5 job. At home I had breakfast and read , packed my lunch before heading out. I had a take away coffee, my favourite thing in cold weather. I arrived at work and jumped right into job-y stuff( I’m not gonna elaborate, I think that would be nice if I wanted you to fall asleep). I decided to explore bit in my lunch break and I then sat and read a book I’m loving recently all about nutrition. I jumped right into work after that. Throughut the day I really try to focus on getting in 3 liters of water and 10k steps. Afte work we went to a nice restaurant for dinner. The rest of the evening was enjoyed at home.

Thursday, 5 March

I woke up and had a cozy coffee and reading hour as I started work later the day. I then went for a walk with my umbrella and went to watch a nice view from a viewing point. I saw a lady planting and gardening in the rain on public grounds. I’m assuming she did it because she wanted to, if that’s the case I’m so impressed and amazed by her. I then went to work . The news today was all about Australia running out of toilet paper. Thank you Corona virus. I can’t wait to tell my kids one day that I lived through these times. Its bizarre. When I greeted Mags at home she gave me a Pineapple teddy. Fun fact: my favourite colour is yellow and we’ve been talking about pineapples for so long. The teddy was so fiiting and I love it. The tag inside also pretty much summed up my gap year . I skyped with my family that afternoon. We watched Goggle box: a first for my but such a fun show. I then talked to my parents one laste time before going to bed. Communication makes missing them a whole lot easier.

Friday, 6 March

I woke up and had a early Gym session again before work. I had breakfast and prepared for the rest of my day after reading a bit. I went to work, for lunch I decided to go to a cool retro coffee shop that was hidden between a bunch of shops. I walked home after my day of working. I arrived at home and we made plans to go to friends of Mags’. It was so nice to sit in a hot tub for a couple of hours and talk about anything under the sun. They also had a dress up party. I walked home and had a nice uneventful rest of my evening. I talked to my Mom and she showed me notes she made when I was a toddler talking about my future self.

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Saturday, 7 March

Heads up this was a really fun day! I made plans with my moms university friend, Kaya. I met her that morning at Mona Vale beach and we had a coffee. We went to Manly beach and walked through the markets there while talking about traveling etc. She treated me to some frozen yogurt and I absolutely loved it! We walked around and saw all the sculptural pieces and wonderful views. We jumped into the car again looking for our next adventure. We went to Middle head and took a hike to a awesome restaurant: Burnt Orange. after a lovely lunch we jumped into the car again and continued exploring. We headed to Sydney central where we browsed though the rock markets. Such a lovely vibe! Think chatting people in cafe’s and music accoustic music playing while having a view of the Habor bridge. After an impulsive decision we ended up crossing the bridge, the views! Next stop: The Museum of contemporary art. I wished my mom could see this( She’s a professional artist in South Africa) I knew she would’ve loved being here. To end the day off we ate at a chocolate shop. Yes, it was as nice as it sounds. I had one of those chocolate domes that melts when you pour the chocolate over it.( Yup, like all those videos you’ve seen ). Kaya dropped me off and I don’t think I could ever explain to her how fun this day with her was for me! She also gave me books as a gift and that was really the cherry on the cake for me, so thoughtful! I would remember this until I’m grey one day. I then got my tennis clothes on and played a couple of games with the neighbours before heading home. What a day!

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Sunday, 8 March

I woke up and jumped in the car immediately off to my first surfing lessons! This was deffinitely one of my favourite experiences. Thanks Mags for making this possible for me! I got a wet suit on, listened to a couple of things the coach said and went into the water. When it was my turn he showed me which wave I should take and I went for it. AND GOT UP! My first wave was successful. I caught 2 more after that but I was asolutely exhausted by the end. It’s not all fun and games. The waves really smash into you when the can. But I guess thats what make it fun. When I got home I took a nap that turned into a 3 hour resting period. When I woke up Mags treated me to a Manicure and Pedicure, in massaging chairs! I know! Shes an angel! I don’t deserve this! Thank you so much Mags! I love you! Wow, thats a lot of exclamation points. We went home and did my favourite South African thing: BRAAI!

Favourite moments of this week

1. Being able to show Mags how much she means to me with some flowers, its not a lot but its the thought that counts. I would never be able to repay her for this, but I’ll try my absolute best.
2. Talking to my family. Things can get really lonely when you’re so far away. Just hearing their voices always cheers me up. It’s my favorite prat of any day.
3. Kaya! The whole day with you was just so amazing, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
4. I can surf! Yup, A pro( if I’m allowed to lie).
5. Playing tennis
6. Spending time with Mags and her family
7. Experiencing new things at wok and in general life.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate all the support. If you have any suggestions as to what you want me to write about feel free to leave a comment.

Have a lovely day!