January 8, 2025

Loving life going into 2025

Chiara Di LIFE 2025, Happy New Year, Lifestyle, Perth, Travel, Wanderlust 0 Comments

As the curtains closed on another swift year, life is good and I have so much to be grateful for.

It was a year of living in my favourite place in the world again – Scarborough, visiting new countries in Sri Lanka and Fiji, returning to my favourite Western Australia (WA) destination Karijini National Park, balancing wanders with loving home life and not giving up on that love story.

Dales Gorge in Karijini National ParkI loved every minute of home life last year – I don’t think I’ve ever loved being home so much. Sometimes I think I’m becoming a home body but then a month at home and I’m ready for the next wander, so I think balance is key. It’s been so nice pottering around, adding interiors and personal touches to my home. Also being able to host again, especially pasta parties!

The year started with back-to-back weekends in the Margaret River Region, for a camping trip with my nephews in Cowaramup and a wedding in Yallingup. It made me realise three nights camping in a row is my limit, but also sadly it was my only camping trip of the year and I’m definitely craving another.

In February, I extended a Melbourne work trip into a long weekend to spend time with east coast girlfriends – doing all the eating and drinking things. I also returned for my cousin’s wedding later in the year which coincided with a Coldplay concert and Melbourne Cup. We also did a road trip along Great Ocean Road to Lorne and Torquay while I was there.

I set off on a tour around Sri Lanka in late March and it really ticked that nature bucket-list. Our annual girl’s trip had us wining and dining our way through Adelaide and McLaren Vale in July. We all agreed girl’s trips are better spent on summer holidays. Lucky for three of us, we were able to have a second girl’s trip shortly after to Fiji which had us out of the winter blues and into better spirits. It ended with a weekend in Brisbane to catch up with another friend. I also enjoyed a weekend in Mandurah with family and completed the Giants of Mandurah trail.

Work also took me to Sydney, Canberra, Auckland, the Margaret River region, Kununurra, Broome, Onslow, Mackerel Islands and Karijini.

I continued with salsa dancing and Zumba, settled into a local reformer pilates and went on hundreds of coastal walks. I did a surf lesson in Sri Lanka but I don’t think I will be taking up that hobby anytime soon, it will just be a holiday thing. I joined an indoor netball team for the winter season, my first time playing in close to 10 years. Every joint was felt but we won the grand final making it all worth it!

For work, hikes took me along the Cape to Cape Track, in the Bungle Bungle Range, through Dales, Hancock and Kalamina gorges of Karijini National Park. For leisure, I challenged mum to the Numbat Track at Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary on Mother’s Day – a tough but very rewarding day, took my nephew along a portion of the Bibbulmun Track in Kalamunda for a Children’s University activity, also took my nephews to Swan View Tunnel in John Forrest National Park which was a lot of muddy fun, and caught up with a friend along Echidna Trail in Walyunga National Park in the Perth Hills.

My bike ‘Sandy’ has been loving coast life, mainly getting me from home to my local beach for zippy morning dips. I have definitely picked up my hill game! She’s also been to a lot of other local beaches including Trigg, North Beach, Hillarys, Floreat, City Beach and Cottesloe, as well as on a sunflower trail around Scarborough.

The dream man did not appear this year… well at least the dream man who wants to be in a committed relationship. It was a lot of the same on the dating apps – many pen pals or people who just want socialisation and friends. For now, I’m quite happy with meeting people organically, the odd holiday romance and life in general.

I enjoyed another beautiful two-week break at home over Christmas and the New Year where I again tried not to make too many plans. It worked well for the first week but then I did get a little bored and started filling up my days. It’s always a great time to reset from the year, enjoy local life, tick off a few chores and catch up with visiting friends and family. I enjoyed many morning dips, sunset wanders, family time, pasta dates and put together some new furniture. I must say I was ready to go back to BAU routine.

New Years was a quieter affair this year – a sunset beer at my local beach with a mate and in bed before midnight – just perfect I say. In fact, it was the third year in a row I’ve been in bed before midnight on New Years. How times have changed.

Now in 2025, I am looking forward to more doses of daily coast life and wanders. I have hopes for a kitchen and flooring renovation; cannot wait for the privileges of a dishwasher and soft closing cupboards. I also have a desire to write a novel – along the lines of a summer holiday romance of course – and will look into a course to get me on my way after my next wander.

Wander-wise I’m off to the USA and Canada to master snowboarding and catch up with friends. I will also have a long weekend in New Zealand in May and I’d like to get to the Philippines later in the year. The family is also planning to be away for Christmas in Bali or Phuket which I’m stoked for having been home the last few. I can’t wait to see what else the year brings and where it takes me.

I look forward to sharing all my USA and Canada wanders soon.

Until then…

LWL xxx