10 Things I wish I'd Known in my 20s

1) You look better than you think you do. Enjoy it.

2) Nothing about your outward appearance warrants 2 to 3 hours of preparation time.

3) It's not as bad as you think it is. Believe me, it will get way worse. And way better.

4) So you made an ass of yourself doing something silly? No-one cares as much as you do.

5) That high drama pal who's stories you find so amusing? She's not that much fun later. Be careful.

6) Your parents love you more than you can possibly comprehend. Be nice to them.

7) The real 'in crowd' is the one that makes you feel like you can just be yourself. It's not an in crowd if you feel left out.

8) There is nothing wrong with being single. It doesn't mean you're unattractive/fat/stupid.

9) Boys are not as complicated as you think they are. Most of them are still more interested in Buzz Lightyear than all your bullshit. When you're ready, you'll find one.

10) Yes, you do need more shoes. Always. That never changes.

One Year

A year ago today we left Dublin. It has not flown. This has been a defining year for us, filled with challenges, raw emotion and self-doubt. I feel a bit like we walked here barefoot from Dublin. However, if you were to ask me if I would I do it all again? Yes.

The thing about difficult paths is, the further along them you travel, the more likely it is that you're closer to your destination. What I hadn't realised on any level is that our destination is entirely different from the one we had intended. We did not go 'home' or 'back'. We went to a different place. You can never go back.

When we left Sydney in March 2007 we were two recently married, happy-go-lucky, successful people with the world at our feet. We returned slightly older, world-weary parents with 2 years of sleep deprivation and mounting uncertainty about our future. Sydney has not changed, but we all have - by 'all' I mean us, our friends, our social circle and the space that we occupy.

I love being here and I like carving a new niche, but I still have a strong desire to run. It's definitely easier to start again from the beginning than it is to start from half-way. When you start at the beginning there are no expectations, no disappointments and no relationships to resurrect or remedy. A new city gives you the opportunity to just 'be' - clean slate, no issues.

It's an incomplete blog post because it's an incomplete thought. One year in and we're still in a transitional stage. There will be more.

Charlie Brown Headscarf video feat Laura Dundovic

Serenity...

I've been indoors for almost 2 weeks now with my potty-training toddler who contracted Croup and was in the ER over the weekend and is now starting to recover... I'm feeling very 'blah' ... Like I could really do with 2 or 3 days away from my house to relax and just unwind and 'be'. I had the most amazing 2 day break at Monart (a super spa outside Dublin) last year with my Dublin BFFs and whenever I feel like I do now, I think of those few days at Monart... What bliss! I miss you Annie and Leissa.

My little man

This is me and my little man - I think 2 years and 7 months old is my favourite age ever.

Our Dream Come True

This is my favourite photo. I took it yesterday on a trip around Sydney harbour with my son. For me, it captures all my favourite things - both tangible and not. It's his 'vision' and the one I dreamt up before he existed. This city, this life, this family. His exuberance at being on the water, yelling 'it's mommy's OPRAH house' and telling me about all the fishies beneath us as we sailed, making friends with his 'buddy' in the seat behind us (everyone approximately his height is his 'buddy')... it all just floods my soul with joy and a sense of completeness. I just had my 34th birthday and I told one of my soulmates that for the first time I felt entirely at peace - just as I am, just as we are, just as it is... and this is the illustration to that thought.

Australian celebrities sing for Oprah