Last Day of Peace and Quiet

So the last few weeks, life really has been moving at a slower pace. I've been reading, surfing the web, planning trip stuff, chatting with friends, and just basically bumming around. Today is my last day of such bliss for a long time. Tomorrow Jen and I (and hopefully some of our house mates, if we can convince them) are going back to Torquay for another day of body surfing. And then tomorrow night, Jen's mom arrives, and life will turn into a bit of a whirlwind as we tour, travel, snorkel, hike, and all that sort of crazy stuff. So I'm going to enjoy this last bit of relative peace and quiet.

I've been plotting out the rest of my travels here in OZ, and it struck me how soon I will be leaving this country. Where has the time gone? I know I've been busy, but there have also been weeks where I've done hardly anything at all. After all this time, I find myself feeling a little torn. I'm looking forward to going home, to getting a new apartment, buying my next car, starting my next job, and all that. But I'm not looking forward to leaving here. There's still so much to explore - not to mention having to leave all my new Aussie friends behind! I'm itching to get back to work, but I am also really enjoying having all this time off. And yes, I know exactly how much of a luxury this year off has been. I am grateful for every moment.