"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life."

The above quote, from the move The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, is one of my favourites of all time. It is an incredible reminder for me each and every day that this life is a gift, and each day should be lived to the full. I was constantly thinking of these two small sentences during my three and a half months in Australia, because I knew I had a limited time there, but also to remind myself that the now is so wonderful. I often paused, thinking about the past and the future, but at the end of the day, I decided to focus all of my energy and self on the present. How can I make today mean something? How can I make it memorable, even in a small way?

Changing my mindset and focus like this is what made my experience abroad so special. I was seeing the world, finding others and myself, and drawing closer, seeing behind the walls that I had created out of fear and worry over time throughout my life. To break free of former barriers was more important to me than I had ever realised, but to let go and learn to separate myself from senseless worry made all the difference to me. I think I had to get far from home to get this new perspective, as this was an entirely fresh beginning in my life.

During these months, I have done things that scare me, thrill me, and make me so full of joy I think my heart will burst. I have bungee jumped, seen the Great Barrier Reef with my own eyes, watched two shows inside of the Sydney Opera House, seen nature in the absolute raw in New Zealand, made new life-long companions of all ages and nationalities, and seen the world as it truly is: full of wonder. 

I encourage you all to read the quote I mentioned before over and over until you can recite the words by memory, because they will without doubt teach you something. I only hope they can do as much for you as they did for me. And I encourage you, more than anything, to have courage and to adventure, because time stops for no one and every day has a beautiful meaning and encases a colourful new beginning.

Australia, thank you for showing me the quintessence of life.

You blew my mind and I cannot wait to see you again.

xx Christina