A Fun Month

Over the last month I've taken the time to recharge my batteries and have some time out - away from home.  Working from home, it's vital that I do take the time occassionally to make the move to visit elsewhere.

Well, this last month I've been on a journey.  We started out by taking some time to travel approximately 2,000km and visit Sydney.  Now, I've been there a lot over the years, but it's been some 20 years since we last drove there and back. What a joy to take the time to stop, and literally smell the roses!

We visited friends, we ate wonderful meals, tried different foods, and, of course, enjoyed a glass or three of wine!!

The scenery on the way there and back was lovely too. Can you imagine seeing a bridge across the road, that was full of trees and plants, a real natural bridge for animals (sorry no photo, I was driving both times we passed it!), and also a highwire that was placed for animals to pass over the road on too.

Coming into Sydney was stunning, some amazing engineering work was done to create some of these roads.

Once in Sydney, a trip on the harbour is a must - we also took the option of going to Watson's Bay for fish & chips, a real Sydney treat. As well as getting to sit on the beach at 10pm at night, eating an icecream, listening to the waves (no photo of this either, must learn how to take effective nighttime shots!!).

On our way back up Australia (the only way I can think to describe it), we had the joy and pleasure of detouring to the Hunter Valley. Staying at a vineyard, our views and room was nothing short of spectacular - and while we were based in this amazing food and wine region, we had to do some sampling!!

Well, after a very short turnaround at home, 3 days, it was time for me to board a plane and head of over the Tasman Sea, time to go to New Zealand.  My original home country, and one I still get excited about visiting today.  At home, it was all the usual home comfort foods (including mashed potatoes with butter and milk!), relaxation, catching up with friends and non-stop chatter, while ensuring some things were done on the farm too!

As you can imagine, after nearly a month of some less than desireable lifestyle choices (virtually no walking, some physcial activities undertaken though, seconds at dinner time, dessert at dinner time and sometimes at lunch too, cheese platters to share and a glass of wine to wash it down), it was time to take myself in hand! 

This week saw me introduce myself to my treadmill again on Monday, after a walk in the rainforest on Sunday (really did miss this type of walking), yoga Tuesday, weights Wednesday (and a stunning sky view) and slip back into my routines of good nutrition!  Follow this by some internal cleansing of my overall body and I'm back into the lifestyle groove I enjoy soo much, and the scales are reading the same as before I went away on holiday - not too bad huh?