Happy new year!

In sticking with my grandmotherly ways, I have decided to stay in tonight on New Year's Eve and have a movie fest and a glass of bubbly :) I spent the last day of 2013 working at Cullen winery doing leaf plucking which was a great way to work on my tan and earn a few extra bucks for my trip! So excited! I leave on Thursday so I'm spending my day tomorrow packing my backpack (just bringing a small one) and organizing all my stuff. Hopefully I'll fit in a surf during the day as well! 

Since I had a lot of time to think today while I was clearing away leaves from the grapes up and down the rows, I had a good reflection about this past year. Conclusion = it was one of my best yet.

In fact, I think I kicked 2013's ass! I'm pretty proud of myself because I knew what I wanted, and worked my tail off to make it happen. I had a lot of firsts this year. I travelled further from home than I ever have in my whole life, bought a car off the internet (learning experience!) stayed in a hostel for the first time, learned how to go underwater without plugging my nose, got up on a surfboard, got smashed by waves and drove on the other side of the road without running anything over. I have met so many amazing people so far from all over the world and I've learned more about myself and the world in these last four months then I have in years. 

I am so thankful for all of these amazing experiences I've had so far and for all of the ones I know will be coming up in 2014! I love my life, I'm obsessed with this epic country and am so blessed to be able to go home for a visit and then come back for another year. 

This year wouldn't have been the same if it were not for getting back together with my long lost friend bryanna. Girl without you this trip wouldn't have been the same and probably wouldn't have happened in the first place! You're a huge inspiration to me to spread my wings, be independent and see where life takes me! Love you very much and I can't wait for the rest of our oz adventure together :)

This trip also wouldn't be the same without all of the support from my beautiful family and friends back home. All of your encouraging words helped me face my worries about leaving, and now that I'm here it's what keeps me going most days! Even though we are a world apart, to know that you guys are just a text message away when I need you (despite the 13 hr time difference!) makes me feel so lucky! I love you guys a lot and even if we don't talk very often, know that I think of everyone all the time! 

Just writing this fills me with so much gratitude for everything that has happened in the past year. I think it is so important to reflect on your experiences, goals and memories, not just at the end of the year, and send out some thankful vibes for everything we have been blessed with! We don't do that enough and I think that such a big part of being happy is reflecting and being thankful for what you have. 

So THANK YOU UNIVERSE for all that you have given me, this beautiful family, friends and experiences I am so lucky to have in my life. 

As for 2014, I am hoping to work on my surfing a lot, being less lazy aka start running, and try to make meditation and journaling a part of my everyday routine. Should be good. 

Much love to you all and a clean slate for 2014! Infinite X's and O's 

Soph 

Merry Christmas!!

Another year another Christmas gone by. This was definitely one of the most unique Christmas holidays I've ever experienced! First of all it was my first Christmas away from my family so that was weird and it was also my first Christmas on the beach!!!! I could get used to that haha ;) 

On Christmas Eve, I opened the presents that my mom had sent me. It was so fun to open gifts and I felt like my mom was right there with me! I got some cute crafts to do some chocolate, some drink mixes and a hello kitty watch haha my aunt and uncle also sent me a hello kitty tshirt which I love! It was pretty rainy and yucky out that day so I just stayed home and read books and chilled out. That night Sarah and I were going to go to cape mentelle to watch wizard of oz but it was a bit cold so we drove down to the beach with a blanket and watched the sunset 

Then we went to the store and bought ice cream (they have so good soy ice cream here it's amazing!) we went home, pushed our beds together, ate ice cream and watched home alone haha it made it seem more Christmasey for sure. I felt a bit like I was pretending because there was no snow, fireplaces, scarves or snowballs!!

Christmas morning I woke up and had ice cream and stollen for breakfast. Stollen is a German fruit cake traditionally eaten in the holiday season. I know it's not gluten free but it was vegan and it had marzipan in the middle how could I say no?! It also made me feel like home because we always have it at Christmas :)

We were packing up our esky (cooler) full of champagne and oj to go to the beach and our friend nat comes knocking with a huge present for me that bryanna sneakily wrapped and stashed before she left!! Wrapped in hello kitty wrapping paper (sense a trend? Haha) I was so excited oh mannn! She phoned me earlier in the morning to say merry Christmas and didn't even say anything about it! Sneaky Santa. She got me all kinds of cool stuff, a mask and snorkel, surf wax, candies, palmers cocoa butter lotion that I love!! It was so awesome and sweet of her to do that it made me smileeee! Sarah and I also exchanged gifts on Christmas Eve. I got her a cheese platter sort of as a joke because one day she said she hadn't had cheese in a long time because I don't eat it and she just doesn't really buy it much haha and she got me a disposable underwater camera which is so cool I'm taking it on my trip for sure!

Then we headed to redgate beach with nat and rick. I brought my board and rick brought a few of his. We had mimosas and crackers and dip and it was a perfect beachy day! We were hanging out and who showed up but another group of our friends! Maria Nathan Mel and Antoine joined us and we all went surfing and swimming and it was just so nice! There were a lot of people at the beach and some guys were surfin in Santa hats haha

After the beach nat, rick, Sarah and I had a BBQ for late lunch. There was so much food it was delish!! I ate so much I pretty much just rolled into bed after and chilled out for the rest of the night. All in all I had a really great Christmas! Although it was very different because of the climate and that I wasn't with my family, it was very special nonetheless! 

On Boxing Day I drove to busselton to get a new digital camera because my "waterproof" one wasn't so waterproof after all haha I got another waterproof digital one but the sales guy told me he has only heard good things about that model. Since I'll be snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef in less than one week, I figured it would be a good choice! I'm so used to living in a small town now, I got a bit anxious being in busselton! I forget what it's like driving on multi lane roads and paying attention to streetlights since Margs doesn't have that stuff haha the store was absolutely packed as well! I got in and got out as fast as I could! Then I headed to smiths to meet the girls for a surf. It was massive and we kept getting smashed by these huge waves! I kept jumping under but the wave would pull my board (and therefore me) back in to shore. By the tenth wave I was so tired I had to take a break! 

Friday I had a full day of work in the vineyard at devils lair which was great for some extra money. Friday night Sarah and I drove to busselton to see anchorman 2 (Margs doesn't have a movie theatre) it was so funny omg they had a part with a "Canadian news team" and they were so full of stereotypes always saying sorry and eh and carrying around hockey sticks. Sarah and I laughed so hard and we were the only ones laughing hahahaaa it was hilarious! 

So that's been my last little while. Everything's great, leaving in 5 days yahoo! Don't really know what I'm doing for New Year's Eve but it's all good. Probably not too much because I'm trying to save moneyyy! 

Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas spent with family friends and loved ones! Have an amazing New Year's Eve, hope you all get to kiss someone cute! ;) 

Missing everyone a lot, I'll be sure to update lots here and on Facebook while I'm on the east coast! 

Lots of looovvvveeeee!!! 

Xo

Soph

There and back again...

... A hobbit's tale by sophie hebert bahaaaa I'm such a nerd! (Can't wait to see the new hobbit movie!) Anyways all this to say that I have officially finished my regional work and can now come back for a second year working visa!!! Seriously so happy about that! I finished on dec 10 and was worrying about finding another job because I'm going away on jan 2, needed some more money and something to do until then but nowhere was hiring! 

Luckily I got put on a team through Vinepower for a few days and started my first work in the vineyards. My god it's hard! If I had to do that for three months I would have given up for sure lol mad props to everyone who works out there! We are doing stringing on baby grape vines so tying strings on the bottom of the vines and then up onto the wire so that they grow straight up. And then putting plastic guards on them so they don't get eaten by kangaroos. Lots of bending and squatting down to reach the plants I pretty much couldn't walk when I got home on the first day! We start at 6am which is great because by the time it's about 10 the sun is beating down on you and it's 30 degrees and you're all sweaty! I wore Sarah's sombrero kind of as a joke the first day but it is awesome! And a fly net to keep the flies off you, there are sooo many!! 

Me in my sexy orange vest and sombrero haha

Thankfully the work will be done this week and it has worked out perfectly to give me a bit of extra cash before I leave on my east coast trip!!! So excited! I can't believe its Christmas soon it really doesn't feel like it! Got a lovely box of presents from my momma so I can't wait to open those :)

Everything is awesome here as usual! New roomie is very cool we get along so well :) just working going to the beach and getting excited for my trip!! Just wanted to give a quick update for everyone and share my happiness about being able to come back to this amazing country! I love it so much. 

Miss everyone hope it's not too cold at home!! Love and Christmas spirit to all xoxoxoxox