After a very long hiatus (too long really), I have decided to resurface and revisit my love for travel writing in the land of blue skies, kangaroos, and an insane amount of unbearable humidity. I'm sure you've guessed it (if not already from the rather telling title), I now reside in the stunning country of Australia!

Yes! I decided to jump on the immigration bandwagon and join the wave of twenty somethings who finished education and decided to move to the other side of the world. And despite the homesickness, previously mentioned Queensland humidity, and the never-ending round of cockroaches that continue to find their way into our flat, life here is amazing!

I've been here for over a year now, I've settled in, found my footing, just about got used to the heat, and made some amazing friends along the way. I started my time here in Brisbane, and just after Christmas, made the move to the Gold Coast. Living only a few moments from the glistening sea and golden sands is a dream, and I'm so proud to be able to say that I've come this far.

Now...it would be remiss of me to be gone for so long without some new and exciting ideas to bring life back into my page. Over the past year, I've experienced so much, a lot of which was through my hospitality jobs. I have worked at some of the most renowned hotels in Australia, some chains, some that stand on their own two feet, but they all have something in common; these particular venues attract the rich, the famous, the businessmen, the holiday makers, old, young, every walk of life you could think of.

Now, I love a good chat, and thankfully my roles within these hotels have meant I've been able to chat with the best of them. I've seen, heard, and experienced people I'd never been exposed to before, and my perspective on life has been changed through these many interactions over the past year.

Working in establishments like these has also allowed me to experience what goes on in the background of these hotels, how staff are treated, the standards we must uphold, the lengths were expected to go to, and the resources we have to utilise in order to provide such a luxury experience for our guests.

I've reviewed hotels myself when I was back in Northern Ireland, and now I've had the pleasure of looking after journalists who are reviewing the hotels that I'm working at. It's a funny little full circle moment for me having now been on both sides of the hotel standards looking glass.

I'm so excited to tell you all about my life here in the land of Aus. I've missed writing so much, it's lovely to finally be settled here and rearing to go again with lots of fun ideas for upcoming articles.

Speak soon,

Naomi x