Sweat, sea, and everyday adventures
New posts regularly, with the latest posted here under ‘Writing my story’!
Writing my story
April 27, 2025
However you’ve stumbled upon this, welcome! It’s great to have you, whoever and wherever you may be. That actually often changes about my own life, so figured I’d share it in words (and the occasional picture). At the time of starting this blog, I’m on a train through Spain, bound for Barcelona to celebrate my 40th (eppp/yahoo!!) with my adventures, and life, partner Rob. You’ll meet him throughout this blog I’m sure.
Since I already have a few tattoos, some dogs, an electric pedal-assist bicycle (closest I’ll get to a motorcycle), and don’t see myself as a blond, my way of getting crazy for my 40th is starting this! Born in the US, I now call Australia home, for 16 years so far and intending to for many more ahead. Though I wouldn’t say no to a villa in Italy somewhere if anyone fancies getting me a birthday present per favore… Growing up in a small countryside town, hours from the beach and intent on being a veterinarian, life’s turned out a bit different than little me would have guessed. Most days you’ll now find me with salt in my hair, dog hair on my clothes, and looking up at the Southern Cross instead of the Northern Star. A self-described beach bum, surfer, social beach volleyball player, and dog mum, I think little me would be pretty okay with where life has taken me so far though.
A university academic and health and movement professional by trade, I definitely work to live not live to work, though I do enjoy what I get to do for a paycheck. Practicing what I ramble on to my students about, life for me, especially as the years meander by, is centred on keeping myself well, wandering often, and staying salty (through sweat, ocean, or even a good cry as needed, especially when it comes from laughing like a maniac). In the days, months, and years of entries to follow, assuming this doesn’t become like some of my ‘great ideas’ and dwindle away into the abyss, I’ll attempt to share a melting pot of the above. From ideas for staying active while you travel to crazy things my students do/teach me to general ponderings, mixed with some fun self-experiments and reader requests, this blog will endeavour to reflect my approach to life (and my salt-ladden curly hair): wild, random, and relatively unpredictable. Thanks for joining me on the journey, buckle up, throw your hands in the air, and let’s go!
And the latest post…
Seasonal socialising
Sept 21, 2025
Winter has recently wrapped up here in Australia, a mind-blowing fact for my Northern Hemisphere friends as every movie and postcard shows mostly swimsuit-clad beachgoers soaking up the sun (or crazy animals attacking people). Here on the Gold Coast, winter also means 15-degree Celsius temperature changes in a matter of minutes come sunset (which is about 5pm), shorts with Uggs, and it being warmer outside than it is in most houses. Despite the frigid indoor temperatures though, I find myself with limited motivation to leave the house. Warm blanket, cup of tea, and our dogs=winter sorted! I like to think of this as ‘seasonal socialising’, nature just encouraging some quality down-time/home time. That sort of suggests come summer I’m out raving every night, throwing rowdy dinner parties, and hardly home. Not the case, though I do manage to stay up past 9 every now and then compared to the usual 730/8pm bedtime of winter.
It’s not so much the yearly seasonal changes, but instead the ‘season of my life’ that feels to have shifted (as corny as that sounds). Late teens through my 20s were my college years, doing an undergrad, Masters, and then PhD degree. Basically, this felt like 10 years of closing down the dancefloor, seeing my fair share of sunrises before seeing my bed, and being a social butterfly, followed by a final two years of hardly ever leaving the office before dark and spending more time with my computer than another human (PhD thesis mode, gooood times). Thrown into this was some time off between degrees, which primarily involved a combination of alternating between living out of a backpack travelling the world and living back in my childhood bedroom (thanks Mom and Dad!). Then, I moved to the Gold Coast in the land down under for a change of scenery, where I quickly made some incredible mates through surfing and climbing who threw me a giant slip and slide party to kick off my 30s. Time to make up for those few years of social isolation it seemed! As my 30s rolled by, I started strong (and mostly single), spending weekends out climbing, surfing, or dancing depending on the friend group I was hanging out with. Slowly though I slowed down, settled down, and even built a house with the love of my life, never saw that one coming! And here we are, living the (our) dream. No kids, two crazy but cute rescue dogs, a home amongst the wallabies and gum trees, and overseas trips at least once a year (hence celebrating my 40th on a dancefloor in Spain until 2am)! However, that also means mortgage, full-time job with a beach volleyball business on the side, and what has become weekends containing 7:30pm bedtimes ‘recovering from the week’, gardening, and Friday night movies at home with the dogs.
Current me wonders if past me would be disappointed, or proud. In a world that encourages busyness, after-work drinks to ‘blow off some steam/cause I deserve it’, and working so you can enjoy retirement, I’d like to think this ‘seasonal socialising’ is an alternative. I can feel the season starting to shift again, as new friendships, a growingly comfortable financial situation, and freedom from not having kids (no offense to those who do, you do you!) sings with opportunities to get back amongst it but in new ways. From Saturdays spent beach volleyballing, ocean swimming, and socialising til sunset, to month-long Eurotrips, this new season feels one of adventure and ‘balance’. Where a slow Sunday at home and early Friday night flows seamlessly with Saturday shenanigans and mid-week dog-friendly dinners with friends. Where work funds fun now, not 25 years from now, and the calendar is full of more than just meetings and falsely-labelled ‘must-dos’ dictated by others. Time for some spring cleaning as winter chills slowly fade, and heck maybe even a fun new ‘let’s boogie’ wardrobe!
Salt + Soul Adventures 