–  The Birthday Weekend Edition –

HELLO, from a year-older Me.

Currently sitting in bed recovering from the most amazing birthday weekend getaway. This year, I snuck away from reality (taking my better half along!) to a place where you would barely hear a phone ring, a text message or email notification…. for one because there is NO CELL RECEPTION (unless you’re on Telstra, you might just be lucky). But why would you want to be hooked to a piece of technology when there is so much more to experience out there! This place is Cradle Mountain in Tasmania – I’m so glad I can finally check it off my bucket list! I love that time seems to slow down in places like this!

I’ve always thought mountain hiking would be far too challenging for Me (who can count the times she exercises in a year in one, maybe two hands). But I proved myself wrong this weekend after doing 3-4hr hikes up/around a few mountains. Most amazing feeling has got to be reaching the main lookout of the hike and then making it back to the start/finish line in one piece! Could not have chosen a better day to do this!

Rather than recounting experiences from the past week in boring old Sydney, I feel like experiences from the weekend are so much more awesome!

• If you’re unfit like me, it doesn’t mean that you can’t hike a mountain, it just means it’ll take you a little longer and you’ll eventually get there. Go at your own pace, don’t be put off by the grandma who is obviously walking a lot faster than you…
• It definitely helps to have someone beside/behind you cheering you/each other on. Even better that its one hell of a bonding experience where neither of you are distracted by updating instagram/facebook every few mins!

• Look back every now and then – you’ll feel pretty chuffed about how far you’ve come… something to keep in mind on a daily basis too!
• Read sunrise/sunset times CLEARLY – do not get them switched around or you’ll end up like us hiking in the dark for the last half of the trail. Thank goodness it was a fairly flat hike.
• Wombats are freaking cute, especially how they slowly shuffle through the grass. I’m sad I didn’t get close enough to selfie with one!
• May have taken more selfies with a mountain than my other half
• Foodie Highlight (for the weekend):Instant cup noodles can be far more satisfying than food from the bistro, especially when you are in somewhere so remote.
• As always, creating memories with loved ones are so much more rewarding than being showered with materialistic gifts (this does not count handmade goodies though!)

• Hard work must always come with a reward at the end. Similarly, never forget to treat yourself every now and then 😉

Thankful for all the love and well wishes people have shared with me over the past day or so <3 Becoming another year older isn’t all so bad, it just means another year to accumulate more experiences before the next milestone! So better make the most of it! Looking forward to climbing more mountains this year! 8-D

x C