So…a thing happened between planning our trip for the holidays and life…

Sometimes, circumstances and situations present themselves that force you to examine the things in life that are important, considering priorities and how they shift and bend with each particular season. In those moments and when life presents challenges, I find it imperative to step away from the noise and simply listen.

I have been doing quite a lot of that over the last several months as a family health crisis (which I don’t intend to elaborate on) changed everything.

Making the right decision isn’t always easy, in fact sometimes it is the hardest thing you will ever do. But if you follow your heart, I know without a doubt it will never lead you in the wrong direction. I always say life is what happens when you are busy making plans and that the only guarantee we have as human beings is that inevitably we will all face changes in our lives – some bigger than others.

Well, this happens to be another big one.

Divine alignment and circumstances beyond my control have called us home.

As the babies and I boarded our flight last month, originally intended as a holiday back home, we instead said our goodbyes to family and friends in Australia. The circle was kept small to allow for privacy and processing, as it was an emotionally difficult time. After nearly 22 months, our time down under was cut short much sooner than I ever anticipated and while saying goodbye was hard, I also know with 100% certainty, it was the right thing to do.

3 days before we left Australia, the kids and I watched as our belongings were again loaded into a shipping container and drove away, making the sea adventure back to the other side of the world. An adventure we started nearly 2 years ago, this time in reverse.

Australia, thank you for allowing me to call you home. You have provided some of the most incredible views, new friendships, and amazing experiences that will be forever etched in our memory. You allowed me to breathe again and opened my children’s eyes to a whole new world and way of life.

And to everyone we leave behind, thank you for loving us and welcoming us with open arms (a few of you even came to realize that Americans aren’t so bad during witty school drop offs and inappropriate conversations). I have come to know some of you more than others, but I am thankful for each one of you. Some will be friends for a lifetime, others will be souls we met along the way for simply a season or a reason. I am thankful for the time we had in your beautiful country, contemplating life and doing so with the backdrop of your beautiful beaches to help gain perspective, strength, and clarity.

Australia, you will always have a piece of my heart.

To those of you who were waiting on the other side of the world for us with open arms, I love you all dearly. It’s been an incredible journey with many stories to tell and I look forward to doing life with all of you again and seeing how the next chapter unfolds.

Above and beyond, a reminder for each of you: Live well. Love with all your heart. Be kind. Embrace life as it presents itself. Let go. And remember to always do what feels right to you. It doesn’t need to make sense to anyone else. There are no guarantees in life. Some days will be easier than others, some seasons more difficult. But even in the most trying of times, there is a silver lining if you simply allow yourself to look for it, to see through the storm.  

Beyond the storm, there is calm.

Cheers to coming home and writing the next chapter.