Lucky....

So- I get the comment frequently 'Do you even know how lucky you are? You get to just pause your life and go live somewhere super cool and then go back.' Or.....'I'm so jealous that you get to live in Australia.' So in answer to these I have to say- YES. Yes- I do know I am lucky. Really lucky. Even though it was really hard to leave and even harder to adjust- I knew that from the beginning. I have days that are still mundane. We get up- make lunches-eat breakfast- get the kids to school- workout- buy groceries......ect.....it's just that I happen to be in Australia and on the lunch menu it's sushi not pizza so I don't even get one day free of lunch making! However- there are a few days a month that we go explore and do something totally new and it feels amazing! I have had quite a few experiences here that have brought me to tears and humbled me with gratitude for these once in a life time experiences with my precious family. I have thought several times- this has got to be one of the most beautiful places in the world! Here are a few of these spots:

This is the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. Our family along with Kevins' parents and some friends went zip-lining through the trees from several platforms. This is the only spot in the world you can see two world heritage sites at once: the Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. 

This is Carson- 5yrs old. I was completely in awe of how awesome my kids were that day. 

This is on the beach in Port Douglas, Queensland. It was the day we were going to fly home and I got up early to walk the beach. We were supposed to be packing but I had to go back and get the family to watch the sun rising and to check out this cool dead jelly fish. This photo still gets me teary. 

This is from the Eureka Skydeck- the tallest building lookout point in the Southern Hemisphere- overlooking Melbourne. We went to a footy game in the MCG- the bright stadium in the top mid-right of picture. 

This last picture was on top of Mt. Wellington in Tasmania in Feb this year. The few months before this picture was taken I was in a rut. It was summer- beautiful in Melbourne and I felt unhappy. I knew I was lucky to be where I was but felt like I wanted to be home...in Idaho. It was our first day in Tasmania and I was on top of this mountain overlooking this beautiful sight and I had an overwhelming but calm feeling that spoke to my heart and said 'BE GRATEFUL FOR WHERE YOU ARE- YOU WILL NEVER BE HERE AGAIN.' I took that literally as in- I most likely will never be in Tasmania ever again. I also took it looking at my life as a whole- my kids, will never be this age again.....our lives will never be exactly this way again. And something clicked in me- I was once again grateful for exactly where I was standing- physically and spiritually. Each of those pictures are of places I thought were among the most beautiful places in the world and when I was in Idaho in April I had the same feeling about this place-

I realized that where ever I am and have gratitude in my heart for all of my blessings- that is truly the most beautiful place on earth to be. I have had a fear of coming home and leaving all of these new and exciting adventures behind- I have worried that life won't feel as fun. When I realize that it's more about gratitude/attitude than it is the physical spot I am in- I feel like I may miss the times we had but where ever I am at can be just as amazing! I write this in hopes to remind myself in the cold days of a 9 month long winter.....