Sunset at Shark Bay

Here's one of the many photos from my trip to Monkey Mia with Camp Quality (where Laughter is the Best Medicine and positivity is encouraged). Expect more stories and photos very soon.....

Learning EVERYDAY....

I continue to be thankful for all of my experiences here in Australia. I am constantly learning things about myself and relationships with others. After 5 months of being away from family and friends I find myself searching for and trying to create meaningful and reliable relationships. 

I feel that I have been successful in finding a great group of female friends but I have been failing over and over again when it comes to finding a reliable male friend. 

I have been brainstorming reasons why I seem to have such difficulty in this department, and this is what I've come up with so far:

1. I'm always trying to find a replacement for my best male friend, Miguel. I miss him so much and I find myself drawn to people with similar qualities and interests (brutal honesty, caring, nurturing, reliable, play & watch sports, enjoy a fun night out). The male friend's that I do meet can never seem to meet my expectations. I need to stop comparing, especially before I return home. I know that when I return, Miguel will be moving forward in his life as a partner (with Erin).  
2. I believe that most people have good intentions and are honest (bad  actually horrible when travelling).
3. I open up to people too soon and have a problem with verbal diarrhea.
4. Most importantly, I have let people around me have a significant effect on my mood and emotions. Over the course of my life, I have been dependent on guys and have been crushed when they haven't met my expectations (realistic or not).

I plan to change my behaviour TODAY... I have acknowledged my difficulties and that to me is an accomplishment in itself. I will try to move forward and depend less on others and more on myself. 

Any suggestions or comments are more than welcomed :) 

13 Almondbury...Where you are never alone!

I was feeling under the weather this evening and homesick. There is nothing that I would want more than hearing my mom complain about me potentially spreading my germs to her but still making me a big pot of tea and a Vitamin C fizzy drink. Unfortunately, I couldn't have my family come to my rescue and make me feel better, but I have my housemates!

For those of you that don't know, I am currently living with 8 other people in a very cozy 5 bedroom house. Currently, my housemates are Sarah & Emma (Ireland), Michal & Krystina (Czech Republic), Anwen & Melanie (England), Michael & Carly (Scotland). Over the last couple months I have been getting to know them; I have learnt about their hometowns, jobs, families, & friends.

Tonight, we spent the evening in the living room watching television and chatting. We then got on the subject of our hometowns and we each took turns showing each other our homes on google maps. It was awesome to see where my housemates lived and I suddenly forgot that I wasn't feeling great and really enjoyed my evening!

Technology really is an amazing thing....I don't know what I would do without it here is Australia. Special thanks to my housemates and technology for making me feel better this evening.

The Game by Neil Strauss

In a very brief summary, the book details the journey of how Neil Strauss a.k.a. Style goes through the various stages of becoming a Pickup artist. He also narrates his success with women and the spreading of the seduction community itself, which I found very educational. 

You might be asking why would any woman read something like this??? I asked myself that question multiple times when I was reading "The Game". I found myself asking more questions like: How can I tell the difference between someone is really and truly genuinely interested in me and someone who is playing "The Game"? How I can let myself trust guys after discovering what they are capable of? I even questioned my friend who lent the book to me, I didn't understand why he wanted me to know all of this information!

In the end, the message that I choose to take away from "The Game" is this: 

"We have this idea that love is suppose to last forever but love isn't like that, it's a free flowing energy that comes and goes when it pleases. Sometimes it stays for life, other times it stays for a second, a day, a month, or a year. So don't fear love when it comes simply because it makes you vulnerable. But don't be surprised when it leaves either, just be glad you had the opportunity to experience it. "