This month marks my 21st orbit around the sun. My last few birthdays have evoked such strong emotions – nostalgia, gratefulness, new beginnings, bittersweet endings. So, I thought as an ode to the last twenty-one years, I’d make a list. A list of 21 everything’s – all the moments and people and places and things that have made every second of life up to this point the reality that I’m lucky enough to live.

1. The Year Abroad

The most wildly outrageous thing I have ever done is whisk myself away from home to backpack through countries and cities that were more wonderful than I could have ever dreamt. It’s the achievement I am most proud of, they are the memories I’m most fond of, and snippets of those 10 months are the first thing I see whenever I close my eyes.

2. Moving to Melbourne

A massive milestone in life – moving out and away from the Gold Coast and settling into the rhythm of the city I now call home. In case you haven’t already picked up from my previous posts, I rather love it here.

3. The V Word

I tend to be rather hush-hush about being a vegan. Dropping the V-word around people usually sends them running for the hills or hurling a colourful array of abuse. But deciding to change my lifestyle almost four years ago was one of the greatest decisions I ever made. It’s opened me up to a sphere of influencers and an understanding that I’m grateful to be a part of.

4. Mum

The word ‘mum’ is undeserving of being attributed to my mother. She is far more than just a mum; she is above and beyond what any child could hope for. She’s a friend, a creative, a giver, a listener. She is a force of inspiration. I couldn’t live without her.

5. Dad

My dad is my hero. I’ll never stop wanting to make him proud. I’ll never stop wanting to be as clever or sensitive or loving as he is. His support and encouragement is the only reason I have done or will do anything in my lifetime.

6. Nick

My brother is the soft spoken, well-mannered, gentle soul of our family. He can fill a room with laughter, and he can speak a thousand words without even opening his mouth. The fondest memories of my childhood have him standing by my side. Right now, he’s halfway across the world. I am immensely proud of who he is becoming, and I long for the day we are making memories side by side again.

7. Lani

Lani – the fierce and sassy young woman she is – is the baby of our family. I don’t think anyone in the world oozes more cool as Lani. She’s intelligent and strong; a loyal friend and a true beauty. Growing up, there was no one else I wanted more attention from – I lived to gain the absolute affection of my baby sister. I think it’s because even though there’s a gap in our years, I’ve always wanted to be just like her – absolutely brilliant.

8. Family

I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by a big and wholesome family. I count down the days between our reunions, I constantly flick through the photos of our times together as a big group; there’s always someone to count on. Every single person has a unique personality, and I value all the time I’ve been lucky enough to spend with them.

9. The Everything Journal

This humble website that I created has been my digital baby. It’s the product of all my creative pursuits. Being able to voice myself through this platform is extremely rewarding – I’m thankful to all of you who follow along.

10. London

London deserves its own spiel in this list of things. I’ve tried to articulate my infatuation with the city before and I’ve never found the right words to express it. Until you fall in love with a place, you can’t understand the profound impact it has on your entire being. I’m struck with overwhelming happiness just thinking about it. When I’m there, it’s like I can feel the heart of the city beating beneath my feet. No matter where I am in the world, London will always be calling for me.

11. Doctor Who

It’s true. I’m a nerd. I love Doctor Who. There I said it. I love it so much that I once nearly had it tattooed on me. I don’t even want to say how many times I’ve watched the same episodes, or how much money I’ve spent on box sets – the hours I’ve spent fangirling in my lifetime is probably borderline dangerous. Doctor Who has been the secret love of my life, and I wouldn’t trade in my hours of geekery for anything.

12. Gold Coast Half Marathon

Last year I decided to run the half marathon after meeting a very inspiring long-distance runner in Copenhagen. Chatting with her ignited an intense motivation to achieve a run of the Gold Coast Half Marathon’s tenure, and it’s exactly what I did.

13. Christmas in Japan

Last year, my family and I spent our first Christmas abroad. We’ve travelled to many faraway and exotic places together before, but this trip seemed particularly poignant. Perhaps because I think that it’s probably the last of its sort to happen for a long while, but the time we spent together in a place as beautiful as Japan has etched itself into my mind.

14. Lindsay Jones

Lindsay is the whirlwind of colour that spun into my life. Full of energy, and a smile that instantly warms your heart, it’s no wonder that I’m quick to claim her as my best friend. I think if everyone was as warm as Lindsay, the world would be a much lovelier place.

15. Education

I am privileged enough to be within the small population of human beings who have received a full education. I loved everything about school; I met lifelong friends and created foundations for my entire life. Opposingly, I’ve struggled to find my feet with university, but no matter how much it drives me up the wall, I know I’m so lucky to be able to go at all.

16. Marina Swiderski

My Canadian soul sister – the first person I met on my travels and the friend that I can’t ever imagine living without. Fiercely talented, quick-witted and understanding, the physical distance between us is no barrier for my affection for her.

17. Bag Stolen

Yes, this deserves one of its own. Singly the most outrageous thing that has ever happened to me; an event that’s made me cry tears of sorrow and tears of hilarity (so much so, that it got a whole blog post to itself).

18. Kelly Glaister

Kelly is the most extraordinary person I know. I think that if you’ve ever had a conversation with me that lasted longer than 10 minutes, I probably brought up "My Friend Kelly". Kelly has been globetrotting for the better part of four years; spending weeks at a time in the family homes of locals and experiencing things that people couldn’t even dream of doing in a lifetime. She has inspired so much of my own wanderlust, and for that I am eternally grateful to her.

19. Housemates

A very recent addition, but three of the most wonderful women have stepped into my life (or rather, I’ve stepped into theirs) and I am lucky enough to call them my housemates. I’ve never lived out of home before, so I can’t compare my experience to much else, but from what I hear my situation is one that any renter would kill for. I count my lucky stars that they’re the first people I see every morning.

20. Razzle Dazzle

During my teenage years, I dove headfirst into a world of razzle and dazzle. I’d spend hours singing and acting and dreaming to be in Broadway productions. I look back on those years with fondness – if I could go back, to be standing on stage one more time, singing with the voice I’d trained to be pitch perfect, I’d do it in a heartbeat.

21. Social Media

Yes. You read that right. Social media – as much as I love to hate it, it has profoundly impacted my 21 years on planet earth. Particularly the sphere of people I’ve been exposed to – they share my interests and have inspired my hobbies. Social media has fuelled so much of my inspiration.

The May Journal: 21 Bits of Everything