London Calling...

Having finally packed the last of my bags and bid a fond farewell to Glasgow, I am now officially settled in London – in my new house in the gorgeous West Ealing – and am all set to start my amazing new job on Monday.

After all the trauma of the past five months, life finally seems pretty sweet. There’ll be no more stressing out about work, money, knowing whether or not I made the right decision to switch from journalism to PR – and I’ll certainly feel a lot happier about not being in Australia anymore (the fact that the weather in London is somewhat better than Glasgow is a big plus too).

I surprised myself at how good I was when it came to packing and deciding what to take with me, what to leave behind and what I really should donate to charity. Deciding which shoes to leave in Glasgow was a bit like deciding which of my children I should take on holiday and which ones I should leave with their nanny. But I got there in the end. The story of my clothes was a bit easier – I had a major clear-out before and after Australia and 99% of everything hanging up in my wardrobe was to come with me. But not before I hit the shops in Glasgow with my mum for some last minute “work essentials” (i.e. any excuse to go shopping).

Luckily for me my new office has a ‘smart casual’ dress-code – my favourite kind of work wear – so I treated myself to a new pair of super skinny jeans from Gap (anyone who knocks Gap is a moron, they do the best jeans for every size and the quality of the denim is second to none), a stunning purple summer dress from (wait for it) Wallis of all places – I spotted it through the window when we were passing the shop and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It’s amazing and I can’t wait for a hot sunny day to give it a showing off. And if it’s a little bit chilly outside, it’s going to be perfect with leggings and boots. Next stop was River Island for a gorgeous taupe and cream lily pattered kimono-style jacket. Smart-casual fabulous with skinny jeans, a plain vest top and neutral coloured pumps. And speaking of neutral coloured pumps, my next purchase was exactly that from Dune, followed swiftly by a pair of petrol blue coloured leather flats from Pied a Terre – rocking major toe cleavage in those bad boys. Finally (and wasn’t my mum, not to mention our poor little tootsies, relieved) it was off to Topshop for some basic essentials – two vest tops (in taupe and green) and a bright blue sleeveless body. Perfecto!

We finished our little spree off with afternoon tea in the Willow Tea Rooms on Buchanan Street to celebrate – but I’m not sure if we were celebrating my new job or the fact that the spending was finally over!

Deary Me...

You might laugh at me (yourself) for saying this, but - I'm proud of you. The past 12 months might not have been exactly what you expected but you grew up a lot and really reflected on what is truly important to you. It wasn't easy for you to give something up in order to gain something else but you did it and you know you made the right decision. It's important to live in the is and not the was.

Instead of living - and wallowing - in the drama, you looked at it with an open mind and asked yourself where it comes from. You tried to eliminate it and hopefully you're not going to have to go down that path again. You're trying to be smarter with money - what money you have at the moment, you poor little pauper - and you're trying to create a new year, a new career and a new you.

So what if you don't have absolutely everything you thought you'd have by the time you hit 25? You've got your health, your family, your friends and a man who loves you more than words can describe. That's pretty successful in a lot of people's eyes. You've realised that, despite the growing up you may have done over the past year, you don't want to become old before you're time. You're still learning every day. Learn to be old and wise by being young and crazy.

You travelled to the other side of the world on your own. You overcame hurdles. You worked on a farm and castrated a young bull. You had a redback spider crawl across your hand. You held a 6ft python. You willingly went on a boat cruise through crocodile infested waters. You created a lifetime of memories. There's plenty of time left to do everything else on your list. And if you don't do it, you haven't failed. It's just a bunch of achievements you put together on a list.

You even stopped straightening your hair as often and learned to LOVE your curls. You danced more, sang more (albeit very badly), probably drank a bit more but hey...so what.

You lost someone whom you and everyone else around you loved. But like everything else, you will eventually move on. You'll never forget him but you will carry on with life.

You are more you now than you have ever been. Run where the music takes you in 2011. You will be fine.

Love...me xox