Head over heels with down under

What I love about waking up in the morning in Australia, is how the picture perfect scene I wake up to everyday seems to depict everything I ever dreamed how my life will take place in the future. The majestic palm tree in backyard garden towers other plants around it to greet me every morning as I slide open the curtain, and the bright pink flowers flutter slightly, and rhythmically to the cold winter breeze, as if smiling at the sight of me. I love the way I could walk down the stairs and greet the vast international citizens living in my home who are sometimes occupied with their amazing works; a future and innovations consultant, an architect, an industrial biotechnologist, a financial accountant, a human resource management student, and myself a self-proclaimed environmentalist - all under one roof. Making breakfast in the kitchen is my all-time favorite; it could be a quick boil of the oat porridge which I’ve come to like with a splash of milk and a dollop of honey, or it could be a hearty omelet sprinkled with mushrooms and tomato, or in my sweet-tooth days, I would be shaking up my pancake with sauteed banana and the scrumptious maple syrup. All taken with a glass of breakfast juice, and slowly ended with a quick bite of a banana and a mug of coffee upstairs while I am finishing my works and readings. It’s the perfect beginning to a projected perfect day. My life is as close as it could get to the life of Isabel Dalhousie, where she finishes her editorial work in the morning, walks through her neigbourhood in the afternoon to see her niece or whoever new acquaintance she has made (walking to the university, in my case), and returns to a quick dinner and drink in her home in the evening in the company of her close friends and family.

A rather solitary life of reading and writing in its essence, but filled with a mosaic of varying social life on the outside. The kind of life I love, and always enjoy.

18 things to do in Australia

The best thing I find about making up lists for myself is the freedom and opportunities to dream big, wonderful and beautiful dreams. Life is about what's immediate, and what we can do with the present.

Nearly 25 years of living, I've beginning to learn about taking up a journey with God in mind, and I didn't really mean it in the religious sense of doing things in the parable of His words. What I meant is charting my own course with a free spirit in mind, knowing at best if anything happens - God alone judges me whether I've made my race or not.

After Lanchang, the first time I discovered the beauty of unlayering God's mysterious works in my decision - Australia is my journey to find where I stand before God, my country, and two people who conceived me. A journey to break free, a journey to let go of the pain which binds me to the past, a journey to discover what's real and beautiful in the world. In doing so, I hope the following 18 things help me:

1. Swim in the Australian ocean
2. Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge
3. Volunteer with the locals. I guest blogged at the Live Futures 2020 last year, which was an awesome experience of getting to know magnificent people working as futurists. I was also introduced to the World Future Society, which I plan to become a member of once I started earning. I've also volunteered for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition by calling 80 people to get them registered for Power Shift. The highlight of the call? One guy had his answering machine answered the phone because he was in Pakistan. Magnifique, magnifique people. 
4. Attend a concert in Sydney Opera House. In the first and the only concert I attended so far, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's performance grew to become a spiritual experience for me. Having watched the movie ONCE when I was in Malaysia, and loved it entirely - the concert gave a real finishing touch to my experience. To me, it signifies how magic is real and how magic is something we all can find within us. I made it real, I made it happen before my very eyes, and it was Glen and Marketa who did it for me. 
5. Visit Australian cities. Apart from Sydney, I made it to Canberra and Melbourne. Although the trip is short, I am content to find I've covered the essentials for both cities. The itinerary for 48-hour trip in Canberra was immensely useful, and the presence of merry companies in Melbourne made the trip memorable. 
6. Camp in the bush. Firstly, we camped at the Basin in the Kuringai Chase National Park, which was inherently natural. The beach was secluded and amazingly picturesque, we bushwalked to trace the Indigenous arts etched on the rocks, and it was freezing. Then I went camping by the beach with a family friend. It was revolutionary as I get to ride a bike along the coastline and get along with local communities. Finally, we camped at the Cockatoo Island, which was entirely a novelty. Imagine setting up the tent by the water facing the Sydney skyline? It was wicked. 
7. Explore Sydney like a local. 
8. Take the Great Ocean Road Tour 
9. Complete the Classic Bush Walks around Sydney and New South Wales 
10. Row in a boat 
11. Experience local customs. Australian BBQ? Check. Australian pub? Check. Australian movie? Check. Australian horse race? Check. Australian church? Check. Australian camping? Check. What else? 
12. Learn many new things 
13. Take the overland trip. I traveled to Canberra and Melbourne by bus and train, even though I had to cringe with determination when I watched my money flew. Apparently, it's a lot cheaper to go anywhere in Australia by flight. Nevertheless, it was an awesome experience. In addition to saving myself from the guilt of piling my carbon emissions, the overland trip was an irreplaceable joy. Stopping by at the local bus and train stations, eating sandwich and coffee alongside the elderly and rejoicing in their admiration of my differences are definitely something I don't mind repeating again. 
14. Eat local and home-made foods. I think a large part of what is going to remind me of Sydney is the amount of time I spent with friends cooking, eating and sharing our stories together in our homes. The food was nothing extravagant, sometimes they are simply a concoction of whatever we can find in our fridge. But sitting together, feeling safe and secure and grateful for the roof over our head, the food on the table, and the warm companies is something we enjoy beyond relief. 
15. Find myself a kindred spirit 
16. Watch a footy game 
17. Buy an opal. I wanted something simple for myself which I've never had. Seeing as opal is my birth stone, and I've never bought myself a jewelery even when I was able to afford one, I thought an opal ring is befitting as the souvenir for myself when I visited Melbourne. It was also a mark of myself embracing my womanhood. 
18. Do something unique which reminds me of Sydney

The departure

The day has finally arrived! Although it’s understandably imaginable, the truth is I never could really grasp the reality of actually leaving my homeland for another country until today.

After a short months of pondering, planning, and getting my nerves put together to make today works, only now I find myself giddy with excitements, fears, and anticipation. Looking back, pushing through from March until July, I had undergone many different events, incidents, and experiences which I think worth more than a lifetime.

Living a life after graduation is in no ways equal to the life before, these days all it takes to run my own life is myself; making decisions, executing it, and sticking to it. It could either go in two ways, whether I simply sit back and let fate runs its own course, or I take charge of my life and live my life to the fullest.

I choose the latter.

Oh, the price I have to pay. The sweats and strength I have to muster, the pain and scars I have to face, the fears I have to conquer. But if it means living my dreams and being with my loved ones - I may only say, come what may.