Melbourne.... And home....

Currently in Melbourne helping with a few projects and trying to get my head around whats been happening through the year, it gives you some time to reflect on the 22 months that has been....

2 years ago I made a decision, to egt out of my comfort zone, to leave Australia and go help in another community in the world - I ended up in Bougainville with a Congregation of Nuns, working in a rehabilitation centre - and my life over the past 22 months has changed....

The way I see the world, how I tackle problems, my interest in people, places and things has all shifted, some slightly, other interests have changed dramatically. I consider myself so lucky to have been given an opportunity where eyes are opened, hearts are opened, life has a little more clarity (although right now, in this moment, clarity seems to have left me when thinking about what the next step is.... I am sure with time that will come back! I hope....).

For anyone thinking of taking a leap of faith, of taking yourself out of your comfort zone, extracting yourself from a rut - I would highly recommend an experience that will jolt you back into a reality that opens your eyes to another way of life. I have seen, experienced and at times really struggled with new ways, new views and new life, new challenges - and although life in this moment is a little unsettled as I come to the end of a two year posting, I wouldnt change it for the world.

Living with people who have really struggled gives me a new appreciation for how easy life is here... Living with a community who base their life around faith has been a learning curve, and one I have been happy to take. I makes me believe in the mystery that much more, and adds a healthy dose of wonder to my life - which includes excitement into everyday living.

But a major change like applying for a volunteer posting is not for the faint hearted. Take the leap, but remember its not all easy sailing. I found an inner strength I had forgotten I had, I started to listen very closely to my inner voice... And trust it.... I opened my eyes to the gentle side of life.

So as I lie in bed, thinking I have to get up, eat brekkie, shower and start a new day out in the rat race of the city, the time is coming for me to get my head around coming home - no easy feat but the next chapter... whereve that might lead me...

Have a truly wonderful day - keep yourself open to opportunities, something wonderful might just be around the corner...