One year anniversary

One year anniversary
Time flies when you're having fun! And so did I: 8 flights within 12 months and counting...
Fact is that my Australian adventure for this year is over. It's been amazing. I learned a lot about myself, Australia and even Europe! There is so much more I want to see of the world. I met lovely people, my amount of Facebook friends has doubled and I made some new friends for life! My savings were spent on traveling and I worked along the way to be able to keep on traveling and enrich myself with experiences.
I honestly expected to be homesick and to fly back home after being away for 7 months. That's what I said, before I left, to everybody who asked me how long I would stay away for: "I have a one way ticket, a 1 year visa for Australia and the deal with myself that I'll go home if I am homesick 4 days in a row".
It's actually funny how most people didn't process the 'timeless travelling' and just remembered the '1 yr visa'. But I do understand it; it's a vague idea and that is exactly what it is for me too! I don't have a plan; I am free and I love it!
Yes; I do miss my friends and family, but we keep in touch when my internet connection allows it (without the internet I would probably already be home). To make up for the missed hugs, I made a 'free hugs' sign, which is a win-win! For every hug I give, I get one myself. Spread positivity, make people smile!

Cairns
I know I already dedicated my last blog to this beautiful place, but I wasn't done talking about it
To be honest: I miss Cairns! A lot! Not the city itself, but the people and dance possibilities. It's the same with The Netherlands; I don't miss the country, I miss the people. In Cairns I found my second family, they made me feel at home. I've been adopted in Cairns.
Cairns' dansscene is not that big, but it's amazing. I danced every Wednesday night, Thursday night and Sunday afternoon (sometimes even twice)! The last couple of weeks I danced every single day, performed 3 times with lovely dancers and had the feeling life just couldn't get any better!
Missing my family in Cairns is a good thing; it makes me very grateful of experiencing this!
One funny experience is that a friend went to Brisbane to check out some things before moving there and needed someone to look after his car...me!! What a luxurious time! I went to the beautiful Paronella Park and up north to Cape Tribulation. It was so great doing this with a car instead of an expensive tour. With the car it was also easy to go to my salsa classes (Sabor Dance Company). Without the car, I had to walk....but walking wasn't safe (which I was told after trying it once...). Therefore I received many rides from different people; my Cairns family took great care of me.
Most of my time in Cairns I was working and saving money for my future traveling, but I did make some nice trips, like a jawdroppingawesome snorkeling trip out on the reef. Where I saw 4 sharks and lovely coral, beautiful starfish and loads of other fish!
I also had my karaoke cherry popped; I sang 'born to be wild' by steppenwolf. So much fun! (Boy, was I nervous!)

Plans
No idea.
Well, that's not completely true... My Ozzy visa expires at 8 September, so I have to leave the country. Therefore I'll flly to Bali this Wednesday, the 7th of September! But next to that; no plans! And that's completely different from how I used to live; I used to plan every little detail. Now I know; so many great things happen without a plan and there would be no space for spontanity if I would plan everything very tight.
I have some old habits I really would like to keep (which reduces stress); for instance being on time at an airport. I'd rather read an hour while waiting for my flight, than run like crazy to get the flight...(did that in Rome with my mother and sister, don't wish to repeat that). But even thought; it's not a disaster to get stuck in Rome, right? What's the worst that can happen? It'll probably cost more money. But at the same time it'll enrich you with experience! Wow! My mindset has changed a lot.

Present time
At the moment I am in Darwin. Of course it's not as much fun as in Cairns but I came here to see the national parks. I requested to couchsurf, but Nathan already had a surfer: Matthew from the States. Nathan did invite me to join them to go to Litchfield national park on Saturday. How awesome is that?! It was a bit hectic because the hostel I booked at my arrival at Friday night was not of my satisfaction (dirty kitchen, old showers, thin mattress), so I checked into another hostel the next morning and had to be on time to go to the park. It was very hot and humid and when I was walking with my bags at 8:30 in the morning I thought I wouldn't be sweating...I thought wrong. The park was beautiful, we saw a waterfall and went for a swim. We went to a cascade and had a beer in the natural baths. We ended the day with a real Ozzy barby, including roo!
Sunday I went to the sunset markets and brought my free hugs sign. I ate some dutch minipancakes (aka poffertjes), watched the sunset, listened to an amazing didgeridoo player and handed out hugs! I wanted to count them but it just doesn't seem to work that way. I am curious how many hugs it actually is, but I think it's around 50 in about 2hrs time. I got a hug from a girl who said "wait, I know you!" She stayed in the same hostel I worked in during my stay in Sydney! So funny to run into her here! She worked for a pizzastand and brought me a free pizza; so sweet! It was a real Italian pizza, yummy!
Before I leave I'm also going to visit Kakadu national park (3hr drive!). I'm totally excited about it!

Thank you, friends and family back home, for giving me this freedom and supporting me.
And thank you for dealing with absurd time differences and questionable wifi connections.
Thank you, friends and family I met along the way, for making this an experience of a lifetime!