Moving States & Making Friends
In July 2019, I had an intuitive hit to move to Queensland. I had no friends up there, no family, no connections at all, but I felt called to be living somewhere in the sunshine state and being an intuitive hit, I knew it would all just work.
Here's some background for you:
I grew up in Jervis Bay
Moved to Sydney when I was 16
9 years later I moved back to Jervis Bay
1 year after I moved to the Gold Coast
When I was 25 I left my relationship, quit my job, handed in the keys to my house and moved back close to home. My intentions of being back in Jervis Bay were to deeply heal, be close to family, grow, seriously evolve my 'self' and explore my soul. When I broke up with my partner, I told myself "I need to be on my own for at least 12 months".
I spent the next 12 months doing exactly that โ healing and growing. Coming up to the year anniversary from my move, I recognised I was where I wanted to be and I was becoming stagnant and comfortable (two things I never really want to be). So I said "okay, what's next?". I started looking at jobs in Sydney, because it's what makes sense. Career wise, Sydney is the place to be. But when I think of that city and area, in my mind I see a grey, cold fog. I'd been there before and it didn't offer me any opportunities, growth or new potential. I'd done it before and I knew I would just be going back to safety and familiarity.
So I expanded my thoughts, and remembered what my response would always be when someone would ask "if you could move anywhere, where would it be?" Queensland. I felt into that energy and it just felt warm, orange, and sunny.
I thought "if not now, then when?" and went through the process of making it happen. Everything falls into place when you're aligned with your path and listening to your intuition, so I got my own place straight away, my stepdad drove up with me to take my bed, book case, desk, lounge and other big things, and I made the move.
The first day here, I went to breakfast and this was painted on the wall:
Talk about an affirmation, thank you Universe! ๐๐ฝ I settled in, made the house a home, and revelled in the freedom and face that I had actually done this, all on my own. It felt incredibly empowering. I spent my weekends at different beaches and bays, doing day trips to Byron, and exploring rainforests to find my favourite waterfalls.
Here's why I freakin' love the Gold Coast so much:
People are incredibly open minded here. They're entrepreneurial as fuck, with dreams and aspirations that they're not too scared to talk about and bring to life
Everybody is warm, kind, and friendly. You'll always get a wave when you stop at the crossing for someone, a "good morning!" when you're on a hike or sunrise beach walk, or have a stranger strike up conversation when in line for an aรงai bowl
The lifestyle is unsurpassable - the surf, hikes, lookouts, day trips, cafes, day bars, beaches, restaurants and events. Even Brisbane is a really cool place (I love Southbank!)
I feel that because there are so many recreational and outdoor activities, the people genuinely are so much happier. It literally feels like a warm, bright place to be because people really do enjoy their lives
People love making friends and there isn't judgement, because they are open minded and understand that we're all on our own journey. There's hardly any bitching or misunderstandings, because there's so much room for your own personal growth and to be yourself. It may just be the people I attract, but they're all freakin' amazing. From meeting new friends at Burleigh Hill on a Sunday afternoon for sunset, to being introduced to other girls at an influencer event, going to a party and being introduced to everyone with genuine, welcoming interactions, to hugging strangers after a group meditation at the beach. Everyone is just so open and kind
The Gold Coast really embraces influencer marketing and it's an incredible place to be a social influencer, with so many opportunities coming to my email inbox every week for products, services, experiences and events
The mindfulness events are abundant - from $5 group meditation every Sunday in Burleigh with cool2bconscious, spiritual retreats in Byron, yoga in the park in Broadbeach, coffee & consciousness, full moon circles, float tanks, ice baths, and probably so much more I haven't even discovered yet, it's an incredible place for wellness and cultivating a positive mentality.
Brisbane city is an hour north, and Byron Bay is an hour south
I met a few people through Instagram, which everyone has access to and the capability to utilise to your best advantage, and then I would be introduced to friends of friends when going out, to dinner, or an event. One of my friends threw a party for Australia Day, and I made an effort to meet as many new people as possible. We'd all exchange instagrams, then during the week I would follow up those new connections with going to breaky or out on an adventure. You have to put yourself out there if you want to find your people! Just this weekend, one of my close friends got her friends all together to have drinks on Burleigh Hill at sunset, then dinner at Justin Lane. We didn't know eachother but we all became friends straight away! For my birthday, I got all of my favourite people together and they all made new friends and connections through me. Good people attract good people. My friend Sam met one of my friends and messaged me after, saying "Gurllll, you attracted some of the most amazing people into your life. I met your friend Maddie today, she's amazing. You have this way of attracting the right energy. Time and time again, just really solid people."
It's important to pour your love into your friendships, communicate, be honest and open. My friends are always honest with me if they're not feeling themselves, have some shit to work through and need to cancel. They know I understand, they know I love them no matter what, and they know I honour that they are putting themselves first and also not sharing their low vibe energy. We are all human, having human experiences, and we don't always feel 100% or have the perfect day. I absolutely love that my friends then go inward, fill their own cup, then share themselves with me when we're both feeling better and clear of our own shit we're processing.
I don't fuck with people who have group chats that drag others down. I don't fuck with negative energy, talking badly behind friends backs (my friends actually talk positively behind my other friends backs and celebrate them ๐), or being stuck in a 'poor me' mentality and not taking action to create change. I've cultivated such a healthy, strong, circle of pure love and support and it's because I value myself and what I bring to my friendships and I won't accept anything less than what aligns with that energy. I've been stuck in the low vibe bullshit and tried to fit into other places, feeling as if I didn't belong and couldn't truly connect with people. I didn't know it at the time, but I needed to move and find my home in the world so I could also find my people. You c