CHANGE

They say change is as good as a holiday. Well I can tell you after some big changes in the past few weeks, I’d much prefer to be on holidays!

The last few weeks have involved lots of big and almost scary changes in my life.

I said goodbye to beautiful Bondi Beach, which also meant saying goodbye to lots of close friends, an amazing swim squad, the warm Sydney weather and a really enjoyable, fulfilling job (most of the time!)

Sydney sorted me out big time. I moved there only knowing one person, with a suitcase and no real idea what I was going to do. Somehow I managed to slowly build this pretty spectacular life there, full of hope, aspiration and direction. These are three things I didn’t travel up there with.

As much as I loved Sydney, Bondi Beach and the amazing weather, there was always one piece of the puzzle missing and that was my family. Unfortunately they can’t be remade when you move (trust me I tried!).

So after three years that I would describe as ‘game changing’ for me, I packed up my life and made the move back down south, to Melbourne – or “Mexico” as it was dubbed in NSW.

Now I love a routine. Thrive off it even. Planned days and weeks, squad sessions, everything sorted before it happened. So I found it really difficult to adjust to that the most when I moved.

There was no reason to wake up at 4:15AM for swimming training, as I was without a squad or any desire to do so.

I begun to go to sleep later and later, while waking up later and later. It always seems like a good idea at the time, but after a week of that, mixed in with lots of donuts and Quarter Pounders, I was left wondering why I felt so run down and terrible.

Along with all that, my move has led to me assessing my options as an athlete. What is the next right move? For me that meant unfortunately saying goodbye to my coach Fab at Shock Team, for a more local coach and atmosphere. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Fab and the work we have done over the year, so a big thank you to him and all that he’s done!

I think for a while I was looking at it all the wrong way. I was sad to be leaving, but failed to look at where I was going. Back to my family, back to my home. Home is where the heart is, right?

So after what were a few difficult weeks, I’m out the other side. As always it all has come down to the way I look at things. The sleep in’s stopped, the junk food stopped (sort of) and I’ve had to do what I do best and that’s go all in.

To finish, last weekend I got to spend the afternoon with all my family for Father’s Day. I never had a good track record at family events in the past, I’ll be honest I sucked at them. To be at my first Father’s Day in three years, surrounded by people I love, my home team, I know the move was the best decision to make.

Change is inevitable, so make the most of it, before it makes the most of you!

P.S The biggest (and saddest) change that has happened in recent weeks is definitely saying goodbye to my 70's style moustache and regressed back to my baby face, just highlighting that not all change is good change!