Where We're At

We wanted to take the opportunity to shoot from the heart and let you all know how we've really been doing and not just what we've been up to...

I want to start by thanking my family for supporting me and Josh in the time leading up to us leaving. When I think back to the few months before we left Canada I just get this feeling of heaviness. It was so stressful and hard and there were so many obstacles to overcome, but it was 100% worth it. Giving Marley up was the hardest thing Josh and I have had to do together. The pain and guilt I felt for months was so much to handle. It was a selfish act, and I remember questioning if this was the right thing for us. It was. I still think of Marley Monkey often and will always love and miss him. But we needed this.. I needed this, and our experiences are proof of that. I know we made the right choice and I am so thankful we are where we are now. Here is an update from me….

I remember my sister-in-law asking me before Josh and I started this journey if I thought I would change on this trip. I knew this trip would change me, I just didn’t know how or what. This is what I have experienced so far. Fiji was our vacation. We had one week of bliss, relaxation and peace. Much needed. New Zealand was such a fun road trip. We got to spend quality time for 3 weeks in a car. We had so much fun just hanging out together, enjoying each other. It helped prepare me for Australia and travel. We chose Brisbane because of a lovely couple we met in Fiji and settled there for 8 months. I had so much fun in the city. Having the opportunity to manage a big night club was great experience and I took a lot from working at Fridays. It was fun, hard work and challenging. My love for hospitality remains!

Josh and I were talking about the significance of each place we have been and even the time frames. Brisbane was a big party…For both of us. We met some life time friends and experienced a party life style together. We were always doing something, going somewhere and soaking up all the fun there was to be had. Sharing the same group of friends has been really cool. There is like a safety circle and we all look out for each other. Finding a group like that has made me so thankful for friendship. Some I know I will see again, others have been a gift in my journey for a time.

The timing of leaving Brisbane was so perfect. It was so fun, so hard to leave, so good to move on. Coolangatta is so quiet. It is the essence of peace. My spirit is happy and I feel alive. I wake up in the morning, walk across the street and am in awe of the beauty that surrounds me. I love the ocean. I love the sand. I love the beach. It feeds my soul. Everything has just slowed down here. It is very mellow. I often feel like I live in a little cottage and am on holidays (I guess I am!) Surfing has been so much fun as well. The thrill of getting up and letting the wave take you is epic. I have also got to do what I love, run on the beach. In the morning the water is so beautiful and I just get to spend time by myself. I have learned I need that for me.

I had this picture of what Australia would look like, before I came here, and this is it. Coolangatta. I have seen dolphins almost everyday. There are always people in the water waiting to catch a good wave. The beach is full of people, all enjoying the same beauty we all appreciate and love. My love tank is full. I can say that for sure. This journey has been perfect and as I see it unravel I realize that even the timing of each place, and what is in store for each stop has been for a specific purpose for Josh and I, individually and together.

The other day I woke up in Coolie and felt so sad just missing my friends and I started to cry. Giving myself freedom to feel what is inside has helped me accept who I am and also has given me more power to say that it is okay and I am entitled to feel and hurt and be sad. It was so cool to step back afterwards and see that. Something else I have learnt is to enjoy NOW! Just to be in each moment and enjoy every piece of it for what it is. I find I enjoy my days more and am more grateful for what comes my way. Thinking about all of this stuff made me realize that I have changed. I look forward to discovering more of who I am and what is in store for me. I have no idea what is next besides where we are heading geographically, and I look forward to what next place entails for us, so bring it on!

Our plan is to leave Australia the last week of Feb. and spend my 26^th birthday in Indonesia. We would love to surf there, so we will probably bring our boards. From there we will do Thailand and then to our family in Israel. So much to look forward to!

I am so happy. I am so thrilled that Josh and I are doing this together. We have such a great companionship and my love for him grows everyday. Marriage is good. We are lucky that we had an opportunity to do this together. It is a beautiful thing to see the person you love more than anything grow, change be and experience. This is a trip of a lifetime and we are in the front seat.

- Simone

This trip has been incredible for me so far. It’s been an adventure straight from the time that we moved out of our house until now, and I’m stoked that it’s going to continue. It’s cool looking back over the last year and seeing that every stop along our journey has served a purpose for that particular time in my life, and that it has been what I’ve needed. When we left I wanted this to be a self discovery journey and I’m definitely discovering a lot about myself, but also about my wife and building a stronger relationship with her. It’s been amazing experiencing this journey with Simone, and learning to have the freedom for each of us to do and experience what we need individually and together.

When we decided to embark on this adventure, there were some pretty stressful, intense times – I think I may have even grown my first gray hair from them! I can honestly say though that it has definitely been worth it. This trip needed to happen for me, for Simone and for our relationship, and the timing of everything that has happened so far for us couldn’t have been better. I’ve met some amazing people and made some wicked friendships that I’m very thankful for. Friends that I know will last a lifetime and who I know I will see again. We’ve had the opportunity to truly travel together (for anyone whose hasn’t had the pleasure of travelling for an extended period of time with their loved one, you get to know them in ways you never thought possible!), and through that have grown together.

This little chapter in our journey is incredible – being in Coolangatta and enjoying the sun and surf and focusing on just being and relaxing. It’s so good to not have any external influences dictating what I should or should not be doing, and just being able to enjoy and do whatever it is that I feel or need. Allowing myself to have the freedom to feel and do whatever I may need at any particular moment is very freeing. I’m learning that I need to continue that throughout my life, and I can see the positive effects that it has not only on me but also on those around me. It’s amazing watching Simone learn and grow in such a positive way at the same time. I’m extremely thankful for this journey and how it is benefitting my life and my relationship with my wife, and it’s a great feeling knowing that this adventure is going to continue. There have been some pretty difficult days being away from my family, but this is a time that I needed to take for me and I’m very grateful for the love and support that my family and loved ones have given.

- Josh