LIFE TRULY IS A GLORIOUS JOURNEY – I PROMISE!

I know I’m always talking about my love for Paris, but you know my wanderlust & passion for travel really started with New York…it’s a love story worth telling really.

It all started way back in 2009 when I was a happy, healthy 39 year old suddenly and quite inexplicably struck down by a cancer diagnosis. The prognosis was not good and I actually thought I would not see much past 40, let alone get to do any of the travel items on my bucket list.

New York had always been first on that list and I just thought when our kids grew older, hubby and I would start traveling the world together…after all, there was plenty of time for travel right? WRONG….I now know there’s no better time than the present!

Anyways, since I literally thought I was going to die very soon, I shared my heart with hubby (as you do) and told him of my dream to take a holiday to New York and Disneyland with him and the kids. To be honest, I wasn’t even that confident it would even eventuate anymore.

One afternoon a short time later, I was lying on the lounge bald and sick as a dog after chemo when he came home holding something behind his back. He kissed the top of my head, pulling out a tiny Statue of Liberty, placed it on a shelf where I could see it every day and said, ‘This is where we’re going when you get better!’

And so indeed we did!

In 2011 we grabbed our kids with my brother & his family and we went on the trip of a lifetime to LA (including Disneyland), SanFrancisco, a cruise to Mexico, Washington and of course NEW YORK!

It truly was the trip of a lifetime, one I will remember forever. That’s when I began my love affair with travel and my favourite mantra #NeverStopDreaming was born.

Paris came the year after in 2012… but The Big Apple NEW YORK …well, NEW YORK came first baby!

It’s been 7 years since New York and 6 years since our amazing Paris adventure …my sister and her family came with us on that one … but unfortunately due to my health we haven’t done a big trip since. John and I did quickly sneak off to Hawaii in between my many health challenges a couple of years ago …and we had to cancel a big Europe trip at the last minute some time ago due to a second (unrelated to the first) cancer diagnosis. But that’s it for the travel bucket list to date.

It’s fine truly…I’m practicing #lovinglife wherever I am these days …but it doesn’t stop me being grateful for the traveling I’ve already done and dreaming of the travel I will do in future. Italy and Greece are next on the #bucketlist and I’m confident I’ll tick them off real soon.

But in the meantime, how blessed am I to live and play in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, my Sydney?! And more importantly doing life with the best family and friends any girl could ever hope for? #ThankYouGod.

This post came about while I was supposed to be writing in my daily 5 minute journal, haha …which took me down memory lane to this beautiful love story. Sometimes it’s worth taking a bit longer than 5 minutes to remember the things you’re grateful for.

Life really is a glorious journey isn’t it?

How about you…what are you most grateful for today?

Share your favourite love story in the comments below. GO….

Never stop dreaming,

Jennifer xo

P.S.

The film, ‘My Road to Paris’, produced by George Trad highlights my journey through cancer and my fundraising efforts in the lead-up to participating in the Paris Marathon in 2012. I managed to successfully raise over $20,000 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation through my efforts, as showcased in the film by eTV Publishing. Click below to view: