Eighteen // Just Like That

And just like that — a whole year has gone by.

I spent exactly 365 days on Australian soil.
Not more, not less.

How would I describe this year in hindsight?

Nothing like I expected — even though I came here without expectations.
And somehow, everything I needed.

But before I dive too deeply into all of that, let me tell you how I spent my final month on the east coast of Australia.

I finished up work at Kim’s Beachside Retreat and said goodbye to all the lovely people I met there — which turned out to be much harder than I expected. Without wasting a second, I packed up all my belongings, had one final dinner with Denise and Ian, and left the next morning for Glenworth Valley.

There, I spent the Easter weekend with Willow and Jollie. Horse riding, campfires, board games, good food, birthday celebrations — exactly the kind of quality time we all needed before I’d leave the country and none of us knew when we’d see each other again.

Although honestly, it feels more like a question of when rather than if.
Which is reassuring.

No, we didn’t have good weather. Basically every activity we did happened in the rain. But somehow that made it even more wholesome.

During the horse ride, our guide even gave us a free rodeo show after her horse decided it no longer wanted a rider and threw her off. Safe to say the rest of the group became slightly more cautious afterwards.

And even though I told the instructors I had ridden horses before, they still gave me a horse that absolutely refused to go faster than a trot. Slightly disappointing, not going to lie.

Still, I was mostly just happy my friends enjoyed themselves and agreed to do it in the first place. For some of them, it had been years since they last sat on a horse (or more likely the first time).

After Glenworth Valley, I had twenty-four days left before I needed to leave the country.

So what do you think I did?

Even with petrol prices as high as they were, I hit the road again.

I wanted to explore the northern coast of New South Wales — and that’s exactly what I did. Ten days. Just me and Betty.

I stopped at beautiful beaches, little coastal towns, hidden walks, quiet campsites — exactly the kind of travelling I wanted.

I danced underneath the most mesmerising night sky I’ve ever seen. I woke up to incredible sunrises and fell asleep to the sound of crashing waves. I cooked on my little two-burner stove, did yoga surrounded by mosquitoes, and occasionally lay awake wondering if someone would knock on my window and tell me I wasn’t allowed to park there.

Which actually happened once.

So there I was, at nine o’clock at night, already fully dark outside, trying to find a new wild camping spot. A bit stressful at the time — but funny in hindsight.

Camping during daylight savings time was interesting as well. The sun rose beautifully early, which suited me perfectly. But once it got dark around six in the evening, there were only so many things left to do. Which meant I usually ended up in bed very early.

Anyone who knows me, would tell you that it’s not exactly unusual behaviour for me anyway.

Over those ten days, I somehow grew even more attached to the camping setup I built myself. Which makes it really sad to think about saying goodbye to Betty and handing her over to someone else — hopefully someone who treats her well and takes her on many more adventures.

At the time of writing this, I still haven’t sold her yet, which worries me a little. Luckily, Ollie offered to help sort things out if I leave before she’s sold.

I drove all the way to the Queensland border without ever actually crossing into another state. And honestly, I just didn’t feel the need to. Same goes for inland Australia.

I had sunshine, beaches, and the ocean — and I wanted to soak up as much of that as possible before leaving.

Over those ten days I explored places like Valla Beach, South West Rocks, Crowdy Head, Forster, Byron Bay, Lennox Head, Scotts Head, Hawks Nest, Nambucca Heads, Emerald Beach, Yamba, Evans Head, Ballina, Kingscliff, and Fingal Head — just to name a few.

I also made a stop in Gloucester, a small farming town inland, mostly because Ian grew up there. And honestly — why not?

I had secretly set out on this trip with one goal: seeing dolphins. I’d been told Forster would be my best chance, but after a while I stopped thinking about it.

And then, on my final evening in Hawks Nest, while watching the sunset from a massive sand dune, I looked down at the water below me — and there they were.

Dolphins.

Just playing in the waves.

It felt unreal. Such beautiful, gentle creatures. And somehow it reminded me once again not to force things. Not to rush them. There’s no urgency.

Some things arrive exactly when they’re supposed to.

On my way back south to Sydney, I stopped by Denise and Ian’s one last time for a family dinner. And yes — family dinner is exactly what it felt like.

I realised how much I had truly become part of their family, and how welcome I’ll always be in their home. I honestly could not have wished for better people to live with during my time here.

So yes, saying goodbye to them brought me to tears.

Anyway… let’s not get too sentimental here.

After that, I stayed with Jollie for my final days in Australia, plus one more long weekend at Willow and Danae’s place.

Those last weeks weren’t about sightseeing anymore. They weren’t about ticking things off a list.

They were about quality time.

Sharing meals, playing games, having deep conversations, watching movies, sitting together quietly. Spending time with people I love and who I wouldn’t see again for an unknown amount of time.

And there was also all the admin that comes with leaving a country:
packing, unpacking, booking flights, sending packages home, selling belongings, organising visas…

New visas?

What would I possibly need those for?

Well… I decided I wasn’t done travelling after all.

After my flight to Germany got cancelled and I received the refund, I somehow took it as a sign not to go home just yet.

So instead, I decided to go backpacking through Southeast Asia.

I’ll start with two weeks in Bali by myself, before meeting up with Gerda in Laos. She’s been backpacking around the area for the last three months already. And from there — who knows. We’ll just go wherever the road and the weather decide to take us.

I’m really excited for this next adventure and, of course, I’ll keep you updated in the new section of this travel blog:
“Southeast Asia.”

And to everyone who expected me home at the beginning of May — I’m sorry.

There’s just something I still need to do first.

I wish I could tell you exactly when I’ll be back, but honestly, I can’t.
Latest by August, though — because there’s a very important date coming up that I absolutely don’t want to miss.

So long, my friends.
Stay tuned for more.

Let’s see where this adventure takes us next.