Lakes Entrance

Just recently, I went to Lakes Entrance, a tourist resort and fishing port located east of Victoria, about 4 hours drive from Melbourne. During the drive, you get to see the rural life in Australia and things that you don't see everyday, like farm houses, cattle and horses. You visit towns where everyone is so patient and nice, and seem to be in no rush to be anywhere. It was a refreshing experience for me, a suburban girl who has never lived in the country before.

Upon arrival at Lakes Entrance, we walked on the path by the sea, went onto the lookout point (as recommended by the locals) and explored around the town for a bit. It was a nice and relaxing trip, and I just had so much fun capturing every bit of Lakes Entrance I could in the time that I had. I would recommend Lakes Entrance to everyone. It's a great place to unwind, chill and relax.

View of the 'Lakes Entrance' from the lookout

A black swan we spotted by the path

Sunrise.

I woke up especially early the next morning to catch the sunrise. Just standing there, viewing the sunrise in absolute silence with no one around, it was probably the highlight of my trip.

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Made my day

Just a few days ago, I was at the supermarket and was reading a text while doing the groceries. Out came a laugh of a kid, and so naturally, I looked up. Sitting on a trolley was a beautiful little girl, who had stickers all over her face, playing with her dad while he was pushing the trolley along. That made me smile and needless to say, it made my day.

A little faith

Sometimes the world needs a little faith

Because we tend to lose our way

Sometimes a moment of silence

It's all we need to make a difference

Rain will fall, and so will people

There's no guarantee, no second chance

Just more troubles to tackle

And no one to blame

To say that life gets easier

Is not something unheard of

But we've got to believe

And put our best face on

We ask others to be strong

And yet we expect so little of ourselves

We always find ourselves at wrong

Hoping that this road wouldn't be so long

Sometimes we need a little faith

To help us find our way

Back to a place where we belong

A place we can call home.

Just the right one

There's this amazing person in my life. Tonight, we talked on the phone for a bit, and after a while, I said, "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

I was a little undecided about something, and about to make a decision, but I was at that tricky place where I wasn't really sure yet. So I asked him. And he answered, and led me to my decision - which was the original decision I had to start with, but I needed that little push he gave to make it. Sometimes, you know you're making the right decision, but it doesn't seem like the right one until it seems justified.

Throughout the phone call and his advice, it was surprising to me how much of what he said was what I had been feeling for these past few days. I understood so much of it, and it was like he was speaking my own mind, but in words - something which I had not been able to do. I had not been able to put what I was feeling into sense. I understood what I very much wanted to do, but many things swayed me. My mind was confused, but deep down I knew that it was the right decision - it was the right thing to do.

He led me on the right path. Even though I had knew the things he had said and had considered and reconsidered them many times past the few days, my mind was still a muddled one. But he cleared my mind. Just like that. The minute I talked to him, I had already knew what decision I was going to make. It was like, "Click. Michelle's brain is back into one piece again!"

He tells me about friendship. He says to me, "Someday you're going to find a friend who's just the right one. Perhaps not at your age now, but when you enter the adult world, you will find that friend someday."

And I have faith that I will. Someday. Little does he know that he's that friend. My friend, who I can talk to about anything. My friend, who I can trust without a trace of doubt. My friend, who I admire so much. My friend, who always seems to know how I'm feeling. I'm not really a good sharer or someone who will pour out all my feelings all at once, but with him, I can slowly let myself out. It feels so natural to just say, "Hey, can I ask a question?" without feeling bad or the slightest awkward. Even though I don't share nearly as much as I should with him, it's more than what I share with anyone. 

I truly thank God for him. It's after a phone call like that makes you so thankful for the people in your life, and their ability to touch you and understand you without even being remotely psychic. And that feeling is truly indescribable.

New Year

So, come every new year, I would think to myself, "Ooh, jolly, new year means new start!" Well, not when I was one. When I was one, I think I just thought, "What are these crazy sparkly things in the air? Are they people? OH MY GOODNESS, ARE THEIR BURNING PEOPLE?" Yeah, that's just my intelligence span back then. And back when I was one, my biggest worry would be whether I was going to get bathed. Let me tell you, I really, really hated baths. It's like the Loch Ness monster was going to come out of the bubbly water in my tub and kill me. Yeah, that was the extent of my fear.

My intelligence span hasn't changed that much since, but I know now that the crazy sparkly things are called fireworks, and it's not of burning people, just burning money. And the extent of my worries? Much bigger than the Loch Ness monster. Today, I over-think, I over-worry and I over-analyse just about everything. I over-antagonise myself over the past and over the littlest things, and you know what? I don't want to do that anymore.

So, this is what I've done. I have made my new year's resolutions. It doesn't guarantee me a new start, but it does give me the opportunity to make a commitment to myself. I know, I know. Who does new year's resolutions anymore? We never keep to them, and never will. And honestly, I cannot agree more. But I'm going to do it anyway.

My 2011 resolution:

Make the best out of everything. Don't over-think, just do.

In a way, this is my motto. It's how I want to live my life. I want to do things without thinking over it at least a gazillion times or over-worrying over over-worrying over it after I've done it. Cross that barrier that says 'Do Not Cross' and see what it feels like. Do things I wouldn't do in a million years. And most of all, see the best in everything. I really hope 2011 will be different, and I know that can only happen if I make it happen. Years will go by, but I will always believe that I can make a change or even the slightest difference in a new year.