What I've learnt from studying abroad.

After a long and tiring day and a half hours of travelling, I'm finally back home in Brisbane. Over these past 36 hours, I have had a lot of time to reflect on the past five months of my life. I have learnt so much, about growing up and myself as a person. So I thought I would share with you some of the things that I have discovered.

A fortnight in London & Paris.

Over Christmas and New Years, I was lucky enough to have my family come over to England for two weeks to come and visit me. It was so lovely to see them after four months of being away from home. After being on a Uni student budget for so long, it was nice to be treated to nice hotels and meals for a fortnight.

I'm back. New year, better me.

Sorry I've been absent for the past few weeks, I have been so busy and have just not had the time to write at all. But don't worry, I'll make sure to catch up up on all my adventures! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Now I know a lot of people don't believe in New Years resolutions, but I personally think that can be a great source of motivation, if you choose carefully what you want to change about your life. The number of years my resolution had been to "get fit" or "be healthy" is unimaginable, and I can promise you that it never lasts. I find that making resolutions more personal to yourself and your lifestyle in the best way to ensure their success. That is why this year I have chosen to bring back the independent, courageous, outgoing person that I have become in Leeds, back home to Brisbane.

I have grown so much as a person over the last few months, and honestly I like the person that I have become from it. I'm worried that when I get back home, I'll fall into old patterns and the old lifestyle I used to lead. Now don't get me wrong, it's not a bad lifestyle. But after living the way I have in Leeds, I don't want to go back to the way that I was before. I want to say yes to more opportunities and start have less of a reliance on my parents.

And from this I have also found that I want to travel so much more. I find myself nowadays starting to plan my next adventure before I've even finished the one I'm on. While I'm young and have no real commitments at home, I want to see as much of the world as possible, in the most authentic way possible. Try to break away from tourist hotspots, and be amongst the locals. As that's the only true way to experience a city, if you ask me.

Having this state of mind excites me for the incredible possibilities that 2015 has to come!

A week in the French Alps.

Over the past seven days, I have had the absolute pleasure of being able to travel to Tignes, in the French Alps, and ski and snowboard with some of the amazing friends I have made in Leeds. After close to 12 hours of travelling from Leeds to Geneva to Tignes, I had one of the most amazing weeks of my life. It was filled with some many laughs, numerous bruises from falling, and a lot of drinking, which were followed by some horrid hangovers.

A weekend in Milan.

As my final weekend in Leeds for the semester, I decided that it was time to celebrate my academic year...with a trip to Milan! Italy is a country that I have always wanted to venture to, as Italian cuisine would be up there as my favourite in the entire world. As well as just eating, I have always wanted to view the phenomenal architecture and wonderful culture that this country has to offer. Milan would never have been my first choice for Italian cities, but I think after this weekend I have fallen in love. The city is filled with life and is just amazing in general.