Living MY Dream

Explaining my hashtag #livingmydream

Beach life in Exmouth was a dream for many years.

I created this!

I dreamt it, I planned it, I did it!

There is no mistake, no off chance, why we live in Exmouth.

I am not living 'the' dream, a dream that everyone else dreams. I am living MY dream!  The dream I held onto, felt in my soul, that I made real!
* Yes I should change it to #livingOURdream as John Marven put a lot of hard work, and dreaming, into getting us to Exmouth as well.  We are a team, and always work together.

Dream, Believe, DO!

2012: We celebrated my 40th birthday in Exmouth with my family.  We have spent plenty of time here on holiday in the past, but this was the first time we looked at the town as more than just a holiday destination, we both decided we would like to live here.

2013: I had in the past spent a lot of time setting goals with my Boot Camp challengers and making sure they take the correct steps to reach their personal goals.  This time it was my turn to set some serious SMART Goals!  I attended a two day Empower YOU course (RIP Phyllis, you changed my life so much in those two days!) I learnt how to truely visualise, to see your goals as Real, and then take the steps to get what you need to work towards each goal.

2014: I set 14 goals for the year of 2014.  Number one goal was to buy a house in Exmouth.  November 2014 we did!

2015: November 2015 we moved into our house in Exmouth!

2017: Two years later we truly are Living OUR Dream!

Life in Exmouth is all we had dreamt of: Beach, fishing, Sailfish!!!, relaxed lifestyle, comfortable house, and plenty of time on the water!

This mornings FaceBook photo with my hashtag #livingmydream prompted me to come home and write this blog.
Walking the dogs on the beach after an early morning yoga class, feeling so in love with life!

A different morning in paradise

Having a house with a large backyard was always part of the dream,
and plenty of garden space for me to potter around.

Sailfish!  This one caught by Johnno.  A big draw card to Exmouth!

My first Sailfish, hopefully you will be seeing more photos like this now I have worked out how to catch them.
Catching a Sailfish was a large part of my visualising that got us to Exmouth!

A very big part of Johnno's Exmouth dream was always Fly Fishing the shallows.

One of MANY (most weekends) spent cruising the shallow flats looking for Permit
(or in my case a Big Queenfish, or ANY FISH!)

Exmouth wildlife is an awesome added bonus to our dream!

Whales in Exmouth Gulf can be seen from the beach.

So next time you see my hashtag #livingMYdream please remember it is a lot more than just showing off my beautiful new home (although there is plenty of that as well hahaha). It's all about proving I have reached a very big, very important goal in my life!  And I believe you all can as well.  Dream BIG, visualise how you would like your life to be, picture every little detail.  Then go out and get it!  Take the steps needed, put in the work, stop at nothing until you have the life of YOUR dreams!!

Sunset fly fishing at low tide, truely Living OUR Dream!

2017 What a year of pleasant surprises!

Good Old Facebook Memories!

FaceBook memory that popped up on my page today, prompting me to write this blog.

On This Day: a Facebook thingy that reminds you what you were doing 'on this day' each year ago for as long as you have been on Facebook.  I've been on Facebook a LONG time, I love the memories it pops up.  

Well on this day one year ago, 2016, I pushed on 'What does 2017 have in store for you'.  It came back with one word: SURPRISES!  I wrote a cute little comment about loving surprises.  Little did I know how many wonderful surprises I would get.

Louise Hay 2017 Calendar: with monthly and daily affirmations that helped me move forward.

At the start of 2017 I was frustrated with my life situation, I felt like we were not moving forward since shifting to Exmouth.  I was bored with my job, worried about my finance's, and pissed off with my lack of fitness and motivation to do anything about it or any or my 'issues'.

2017's SURPRISE'S have sorted out all things above and I am looking at a very positive, motivated  start to 2018. 

Reflecting on 2017 happy moments:

This year can most defiantly be remembered for work and family.

After 1 1/2 years at the same job, since arriving in Exmouth, it was time to move on, and move on I did, and on and on.  I went from the same continual job for 18 months, to five different jobs within a matter of months.

Those who know me well, will know I am a true believer in 'everything happens for a reason' and 'you are right where you are meant to be'.  This is frustrating when you are feeling stuck, and of course sometimes you do just have to act or nothing will change. So I left my casual but very reliable job.

I picked up some very casual, few days here and there of different work, and with the time in between I painted the WHOLE inside of our house!!  Something I never seemed to have time for while working, so this time, even though slightly scary (when is the next pay day going to be), was a wonderful blessing/surprise! :)
Thanks to wonderful friends/opportunies/surprises I am again in casual be reliable work, with new opportunities.

Painted the whole interior of our house within weeks!

Exmouth is a holiday destination, so it is not be too much of a surprise that we had so many friends visit town over the last year. But it was a wonderful surprise every time different friends called to say they were coming, and we got to spend time with them.

The biggest surprise of all, talk about the Universe colliding to bring me everything I want, was when the opportunity appeared for all my sibling to come together at once.  This has only happened 3 times before in the last 25 years!!

My sister, our youngest sibling, moved back to Aussie from NZ.  With time on their hands before starting work again, it was arranged that her family would drive to WA to help younger brother (number 3 out of 4) with sharing his sheep.  My oldest brother then mentioned that he would be on his swing home from the mine that week (same town).  

I was reading all their messages, thinking 'Oh it's not fair, i'm being left out'.  Then it dawned on me: I had just left my current job (number 4), hoping to pick up work with job number 3 again, before starting job number 5.  Job number 3 wasn't able to give me the work expected at that time due to paper work restrictions blur blur blur....I found myself with a very unexpected week off work, the very same week that my siblings were going to all be together!!!
Then the icing on the cake, my new job (number 5) put my start date back from the Monday to the Thursday, so I had a few extra days, not even having to rush back!

But wait there's more!!! Yes we have steak knives.  I was able to pay for my flight to Perth with Frequent Flyer points, not costing my anything!!  Being able to spend a few night in Perth with John's mum, before being picked up by my little sister and her family.
We arrived in town the day our brother came home from the mine, and went straight out to help little brother on his farm altogether!

Kiwaussie (Kiwi Aussie's) Fun: First day all back together again in 8 years, what do we do....cut up 3 cows and sheep!
Two brothers on the saw, big sister (ME) taking photos (and drinking all the beer!), little sister and niece bagging portioned meat into freezer bags.  Partners in the back...drinking more beer? I'm not sure what they were doing?

A week of hanging with my beautiful niece's!!
So good getting to know them all!
They grow up too fast!!

A week of partying with my family, I have missed this!

But wait, there's more, the surprises just keep coming!!!
Little sister was able to spend longer in WA than expected.  Instead of rushing back to SA, they were able to drive me home to Exmouth and spend a week here exploring my beautiful new home town.

A week of hanging with my little sister and her family in Exmouth.
Bliss!

That of course was the main highlight of 2017!  
But other also very wonderful surprises include:

- Buying a Kayak.  I promised myself this 2 years ago when we first moved to Exmouth, but it ended up in the too hard don't bother basket.  Just so happens a friend brought one, and got it delivered here rather cheaply.  I went to look at his, he explained how he got it here, I went home and ordered one that day.  
I love it!!

- I caught my first Sailfish.  Some might think this is not really a surprise since we live in Exmouth, but trust me, we have been out plenty of times without catching any!

- I made contact with a long lost high school buddy.  She doesn't use facebook, instagram or even email!  (I have since found out she use's Snap Chat, but on very rarely).  I got her POSTAL address off someone else, and wrote her an old school letter!  She couldn't be bothered writing back, 'who does that any more' she said, hahaha too funny!!! So she called me, normal phone call, none of this fancy FaceTime stuff!  We have had a lot of long chats since, which on its own is a wonderful surprise, but another surprise came from our calls.  She introduced me to The Barefoot Investor.  I inhaled the book within days of starting, and have taken most the steps layed out in the book.  I'm now feeling in control of my finance's and my future again, it's a wonderful feeling! :)

Awesome book, everyone should read it!

Lots of other equally wonderful things happened during 2017:
I started Yoga
I helped with my first Exmouth Community event.
I turned 45!!!
I had many many wonderful Whale and wildlife encounters.
We caught many fish.

Do not wear denim shorts when showing off your new Yoga skills!

Positive Fairy handing out prizes at the Exmouth Fun Run

I turned 45!

The last but very not least surprise I will mention is: I managed to still be able to run 5km in under 30mins!!!! Wahoo!!

5km in 28mins!
Very happy with myself!

I am setting up 2018 to keep moving forward with all the changes that having started this year.  With my finance's and fitness back on track, I am ready to set some positively motivating goals!

Next blog: 8 Goals for 2018!!

:)

OUR 1st Dolphin Fish / Maui Maui

This happened back in August, not sure why I didn't finish this blog, possibly going to make a YouTube clip of it as well.

Was an awesome moment in time, watching the dolphin fish chase down our bait, then the awesome fight, happens of jumps.
We had trouble trying to lift it, and lost it at the boat, realising why people guff them.

What has brought you joy today?

Life is a series of thousands of tiny miracles.

 Notice them!

Eagles always bring me joy!
Wedgetail Eagle, Cape Range National Park, Exmouth WA.

To cut to the chase, because you should all be out doing more of what you love, instead of reading about what I love: We went for an early morning drive this morning.

Cape Range National Park.  Ningaloo Reef
I love the Aussie Outback as much as the ocean.

 Johnno fall asleep in the car, having just come home from a 13 hour night shift.  So I left him snoring while I went for a little bush walk upon seeing these amazing Wedges on a ridge, over looking the road, the ocean and the country side.

Easily spotted from the road by their size.
I was surprised how close I got to them.
 Happy Karen!

A quick zoom in on the long lens as I got closer,
I knew they were getting ready to fly.

Such grace and ease, I never get sick of watching that!

Be careful to pay attention!  I was so focused (trying to focus) on the Wedges, I did not even notice this roo until I downloaded the photos, it's in heaps of them, just sitting there watching me watching the eagles.

Recently when driving into the Cape Range National Park to go fishing, I have often thought how I would love to walk the range as well.  Today was the first time I've been East of the road, the reef with all it's amazing fish is to the West ;)
I walked one tiny little bump, compared to what is out there, but took in so much.

And then I got to relive the beautiful relaxing morning by downloading my photos and posting them on this blog.  I love my blog :)

I do love the Galah's as well

Big Red was eating beside the Galah's before he noticed me, but he didn't go too far.

Note to new readers: Yes this is a mainly a fishing and camping blog, with a taste of dogs, wildlife, cooking and maybe some fitness (na I have a different page for that).  But I'm not camping at the moment, and every now and then I talk about other stuff, like...feelings!!!

Today I felt connected with the Cape Range landscape.  My very short walk centred me, actually it stopped me in my tracks!  I sat watching the beautiful big Wedge Tail Eagles watching me, knowing  the love of my life was close by, sleeping in the car, while taking in the amazing view of the Ningaloo Reef.  I felt at home, not just a nice homely feeling that I have had for the last year and a half while living here, but really like THIS IS HOME!  This is where I am meant to be, and I love it!!
Expect to see a lot more blogs and photos of the Range as well as the Reef!

Sitting on a rock taking in my HOME!
Where the Outback meets the Reef.
I LOVE IT ALL!!