By NATALIA HAWK
Welcome to another Friday and therefore another round of Best and Worst. I almost feel like if you’re reading this, you already know the drill – but if you don’t, let me take you through it again.
Best and Worst is where we gather weekly, like one big happy and slightly dysfunctional family, to discuss the highs and lows of our week. The good bits, the bad bits, the super-average bits – it’s all up for discussion, so grab a cup of tea and put your feet up.
I’ll kick off, as is tradition:
Best: I spent most of the week at a beautiful yoga retreat just an hour north of Sydney. Three hours of yoga per day, meditation (which I’ve never really done before – not properly anyway), an amazing massage and a whole lot of beautiful, organic food makes for an incredibly happy and relaxed Nat. I’ve come home with a real understanding of what I need to change up in my life to improve it, health-wise. Better food, more sleep and more relaxation are all at the top of the list. (For those who are interested, I went to Billabong Retreat – but more on that later.)
Worst: Life has thrown me straight back into the crazy daily grind upon return. Someone find a way to add some extra hours into the day. Please?
OMM: The continuation of MM’s Body Positive project – what’s the body-shaming comment that you won’t let bother you anymore?
What was your best and worst of the week?
Top Comments
Today is the first day of my amazing new life. Maybe by posting that here I'll stick to it and make it happen. I've been through so much the past five years, you wouldn't believe it. It's been so incredibly tough and I have only just barely made it through. I attempted suicide and was found not breathing and my heart stopped three times. I was seriously ill after coming home from hospital and my partner left me a week later. I lost my home. I lost everything.
But now I"m feeling stronger and better. I've launched my new business and am determined that it will be a success. I move into my gorgeous new tiny home today.
My beautiful dog is seriously ill and I'm so happy that I'm moving into a new home so can get settled and give her a lovely home environment so that she can rest and be happy.
One thing that I have to complain about is how awful some people have been, people I considered my friends. There are so very very few real friends around hardly any. I've been staying with a friend the past two weeks, we've been friends 15 years and I've done so much for her and given her so much over the years.
In her house most of the furniture is stuff I've given her. A computer, printer, desk, chair, book shelves, plants, thousands of dollars of stuff. She was ill a few years ago and I have always paid for her whenever we go out, for years. I've never let her pay.
When I stayed with her I bought all the groceries and bought her things that she needed ie; a hard drive, software, beautiful bed and toys for her dog etc etc. Not little things but really beautiful expensive stuff. Yet she has been so truly terrible, awful to me. Nagging me over every little thing, carrying on at me over everything, making me feel like shit. I had trouble finding a new home and have been desperately looking but she said that I had to be out in a couple of days - with a chronically ill dog and nowhere to go.
Thank God I got this new place that we move into today. And she's still been really really awful to me. I'm very late being paid, have no money, and don't have a car and she is telling me to get out and "has to get rid of us" but won't give me a lift in her car - it would take about 20 minutes. Instead she's sitting on the lounge watching crap tv refusing to talk to me.
I can't wait to get out of here! I just can not believe how awful she's being to me. And I don't want to know about her after this. I'm very grateful that she let us stay for two weeks, and I have been a considerate guest. I spent five hours straight last week cleaning her house as it was so filthy but she was not happy about it. She actually said "I didn't ask you to do it". The house had dust and dirt about five inches deep! I scrubbed and cleaned for hours.
She had stuff everywhere, old boxes, piles of old newspapers etc the place was such a mess so I put them in the wardrobes etc. She then pulled them all out again, as if to offend me. So weird and so sad. The place looked absolutely beautiful, so clean and lovely when I finished.
Anyway we will be at our new home very soon and I'm determined to make life good and never ever be in this position again where I can be treated so badly by people. It's really sad when people can be so awful when you're down and having a bad time. But that's the way most people are. I just can't wait for my new life to begin and it will be wonderful.
Mornin' all,
Best: hubby and I thinking of packing up and going round the world for a year backpacking. He was recently made redundant and when I graduate at the end of the year, we thought... why not?!
Worst: fear of travelling. I am always a doomsday person. What if drugs are planted in my bag, what if I am innocently jailed and no help comes? What if I am raped, mugged, murdered etc. Would LOVE for travelling tips and advice.
xx
Hey Undecided Traveler
While it's good to aware of the risks of traveling; don't let it scare you into not experiencing the world!
The way I always look at it is even if you were to stay home and never do anything risky you are not guaranteed a safe life. Shit happens. Whether you're at home or in Colombia, bad things can happen anywhere at anytime.
My advice is to go out and explore!
Best. Plan. Ever. Seriously, my husband and I did it a few years ago, and it was easily the best experience of our lives.
Re travel tips: use common sense and be sensible. if you're going to a country with a high poverty rate, don't wear flashy clothing and brand names. We always wore very plain clothing. Also, if you're staying in hostels (which I highly recommend, the atmosphere is usually great, especially in South America), ask the people there what is safe and what isn't e.g. what areas are fine to walk around in and what time you can safely walk around the hostel. They're usually happy to give that info :) Most of all, trust your instincts. if that taxi driver seems a bit dodgy, just don't get in. If something bad happens at a hostel, or you don't like the vibe, then change hostels.
But most of all, don't worry too much! We were gone for 15 months and had a ball, and not one single bad thing happened to us, not in South America, not in South East Asia, not in Eastern Europe, nor in North America.