Dream! Pray! Travel! Diary of a different woman – where to next? 🌸❤️ Weeks 21 & 22 – 2025

Foreword: For weeks 21 and 22, I am sharing this travel diary that picks up where my last one left off. Covering just under 2 years of adventures and musings, the ones I remember to write down 😆.  I started writing it in November 2023, shortly after returning from our family trip to Los Angeles, CA 🇺🇸, and it’s a continuation of our journey that began more than five years ago.

25.11.2023, 8.15am – the trouble with travelling is that you’re already thinking ahead of where you’ll go to next 😆 never mind the big hit in your bank account from your recent travels 😏😁

So where to next for me and my travel buddies? 🤔 hmmm, the list is long and wide, but the bank account isn’t, so it’ll be another 12 months or so of dreaming, planning, and praying. Only God knows where that next destination will be 🙏

12.12.2023 – 3.00pm: I’m out on late lunch. It’s not too hot today compared to the past few days. Sydney weather these days is unpredictable – hot, one day & very cold the next 😏. Anyway, so where to next? Well, let’s see – I have a bucket list of places I want to tick off, like the Great Wall of China, Machu Pichu, Pyramids of Egypt, Taj Mahal, Israel (still on list), Stonehenge, South African safari – just to name a few.

Listing them down is the easiest part – getting there is not! And that’s where the praying comes in. No matter the odds, my dreams remain my dreams, and I will continue to work hard and pray diligently, trusting an all-powerful God to take me where He leads 🙏

27.12.2023 – 8am, where has the time gone? Christmas and Boxing days have come and gone just like that. Four more days till we say goodbye to 2023, and then it will be 2024! 2024?!! Someone’s got their finger on the fast-forward button for sure.

Life’s passing by so fast. Sometimes I feel like I’m playing catch up or just plain simple, running out of time… but then I stop to reflect and realise in hindsight that every moment, second, minute, hour, day – it’s all meant to happen. You and I are where we are meant to be, even when it doesn’t feel like it. I’m looking forward to what 2024 has in store for my family and I.

30.12.2023 – 11.50pm: in 24 hours 2023 will be over. I didn’t think I was ready for the new year until I read this poem – hope you all like it and that it inspires you too!

No, 2024 perhaps won’t be your best year yet.
Nor will it be the worst.
You see, a year is a mosaic of absolutely everything.
Joy, fear, heartache, loss, beauty, pain, love.
Failure, learning, friendship, misery, exhilaration.
Each day, each moment even, is a tiny shard of glass in this beautiful, confusing creation.
2024, like all the years before, will be another mosaic to add to your wall of art
A wall that shows the life, you are continuously gifted.
A wall that shows you are human.
A wall of survival.
I wish you many broken pieces of glass this year, my friends.
Because this is living.
And before you march on in to another year of ‘everything’, pause to look back, at the work you have created thus far.
It is quite something.
You are quite something.
Now on we go, my friends.
Onwards we very much go.

Donna Ashworth

31.12.2023 – 11.40pm, in under 20 minutes, 2023 will be over. And 2024 will be here! I just have two questions: 1) What am I grateful for in 2023, and 2) what am I doing differently in 2024 and beyond? I’m grateful to God for all the memories and lessons of 2024, reminding us that through thick and thin, He was, is, and will be ever present 🙏❤️.

2023 taught me to step up and out in faith. I got sidetracked, so in 2024, I will serve others more and be served less. I will live each day as if it were my last, living life to the fullest and taking on new skills and challenges.

01.01.2024 – 9.30am, new year, new dream, new goals. Here’s to dreaming, goaling, working hard and more whilst keeping the faith always in God 🙏❤️

21.01.2024 – 2.40pm, looking back at the past 20 or so days, life truly is a roller coaster ride! So whether it’s just days, months, years – you will hit some highs and many lows. The trouble for many of us is that we get stuck in either one of the many highs or lows – we hold onto what happened, what might have happened 🤔 if we’d done things differently. We let ourselves be stuck in pigeon-holes, for want of a better word.

26.01.2024 – 2.40am, I’ve just had my medication & drinking a cup of Milo to wash them down. A powdery perfume scent, so strong – just wafted across my face. I stopped drinking & eating, to ask other family members if they can smell it too – and got a big NO! 😞😢

Apart from that, it’s ‘Straya Day today – happy celebrations Aussies 🇦🇺💚💛

04.02.2024 – 11.45am, today I’m baking a cake and cooking up a storm in remembrance of my mother. Then will attend 6pm service, later on this evening 🙏❤️ It’s a hot day today so decided against going to the beach – staying indoors instead.

07.03.2024 – 7.47 am! The first week of March just got more busier for us this year, welcoming our new grandson, sharing the same birthday 19 years on, with his uncle. How cool is that 😊 😍

This week’s also a nostalgic one as it always is, when March 5 rolls around. 2024 marks 17 years since my dad was called to glory 😔. May his beautiful soul rest in God’s peace forever 🤍🕊.

We’re going on a road trip later today, and I’ve packed a camera, too. I am hoping to take many pictures of  footy action as well as of the lovely Coffs Coast.

Apart from that, it’s a lovely Thursday morning, here in Sydney’s Southwest. Excited is an understatement as we leave on a 6-hour drive in under 5 hours’ time to beautiful Coffs Harbour. Road trip, yayyyyy!!! Love them, who doesn’t! Not everyone’s teacup, I guess.

08.03.2024 – 11.30pm! Happy International Women’s Day 💜

I spent today at the footy fields, with my husband, watching our son play. It was a good day for footy, except for the sun – when it decided to come out and shine! IT WAS HOT 🔥 In between from time to time, the rain drizzled, but held off, and the humidity was crazy 🥵Day 1 done, bring on day 2!!

How does one inspire inclusion? 🤔 Last year, it was embrace equity! The year before last – break the bias! Hmmmm, interesting topic – something to delve into deeper later on!

We’re forever grateful to God for each other 😍, for prayer warriors and kind, generous hearts 😇. We thank God for His healing mercies and protection. It is by His grace that we live everyday and are able to face what life throws at us 🙌 🙏

14.03.2024 – 8.40pm! This time last night I was waiting to be called in by triage nurses, having presented myself to ED at Campbelltown Hospital due to chest pain 😢. As always, the place was full, and the service was slow. By the time I left at about 6am this morning, there were a couple of faces from the previous night who were still waiting to be served. I will not be pulled into that discussion: my only comment is that it’s disheartening to see this happening in Australia.

But knowing where I come from, these delays are nothing compared to what people in Papua New Guinea face daily. I rest my case 😌

15.03.2024 – 10 am! 🔙 to last Saturday, 9th March, we managed to do some sightseeing in Coffs Harbour. We chose to check out the Marina and found a good and fast stop for lunch – The Fishermen’s Coop. If ever in Coff, check them out – they serve the best tasting fish and chips. I had fish of the day and chose the mahi mahi – so delicious.

After lunch, we opted to walk along the Marina foreshore towards Mutton Island Nature Reserve. It was a good walk, took lots of pictures too.

We got to the base of the island and my husband asked if I was OK to climb the mountain, since I’m the one with a stent in my heart (story for another day). I thought about it & I said, we’re here – let’s do this ❤️

And so we began the climb; to be honest, it was tough – at one point I thought I was going to fall from the exhaustion and exertion. But I didn’t! Of course the repercussions were felt much much, later, but that’s nothing compared to the majestic feeling of reaching the  top, the wind blowing in your face, and witnessing the beauty of nature unfold infront of you. It was magnificent – I don’t think these pictures do it much justice. I’m glad I pushed myself ❤️

I’m forever grateful for my husband, who supported me all the way up to the top and back – not once telling me to give up, letting me do it on my own, knowing how much I value independence ❤️🙏

 

21.03.2024 – 10.12 am! I’m sitting on a train 🚆 on my way to the ‘Riff’, yayyy 😊 Being a while since I’ve been on a train, travelling more than an hour to get anywhere. Nice to see fellow commuters from all walks of life, hopping on and off the train as it chugs along.

I’m looking forward to catching up with Aunty Liz, a long time coming this catch-up. God bless her heart 🙏

11.05.2024 – 7pm! I just realised I haven’t written here in such a long time. Everyone in my family is down with COVID-19 😦 it’s not very nice at all. The cold, rainy weather is not helping, too!! We’ve just got to ride this one out, with lots of water, vitamins, fruits, painkillers and rest, heaps of it 😊

Above all else, I’m grateful to God for His never-ending grace and healing mercies – even when we wander far away from Him, lost in our pains and aches 🙏❤️

12.05.2024 – 6am! Another mother’s day without you, lau sinagu lalokauna 🕊❤️ memories are all I’m left with.

14.05.2024 – 8.02am, Mother’s Day 2024 came and went just like that! Bringing with it COVID-19 – it wasn’t nice at all – the covid that is 😞. Even our littlest family member, just 2 months old, tested positive – poor bub. The whole family was down, so we were indoors all weekend, with plans cancelled.

Eat, drink, sleep, wake, on repeat, all weekend 😴😅 but that’s the best way to fight it – lots of water, vitamins, fruits, food, soups the favorite and loads of rest. Trust me, your body will appreciate you for that.

It wasn’t that bad, though, thanks to my loving family. The smash cake 😅 I mean, we all have that inner child, right? And my kids bless their hearts 💕 got me one,  smash cake that is. When they ordered it, we didn’t know we’d all be stuck at home with C19 😏 so smashing that cake was like fun 👌 😋 😍

And we’re also grateful for kind and generous hearts from church who delivered dinner for us one evening.

28.05.2024 – 9.08am: it’s a beautiful Tuesday morning. Im sitting in our front room, feeling the warmth of the sunshine on my skin, and am reminded of God’s love and compassion on a sinner like myself. Sometimes, it’s hard to comprehend, then you read the Psalms and come across verses like this one:

‭Psalms 145:8-9 NIV‬

[8] The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. [9] The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

It says, “… the Lord is good to ALL; he has compassion on ALL he has made.” God is good to everyone, to ALL – not just believers or christians! How reassuring is that ❤️🙏

I’m babysitting my bubu boy (grandson) today, as his parents have an emergency to attend to. God bless them. I hope all turns out well for them.

As I gaze at my precious bubu boy sleeping, I feel thankful to God for the volunteering path I’ve been on over the past few months. I’ve been blessed by every individual I’ve met along the way, especially the residents.

Though I may not know their stories or backgrounds, being in their presence has been a privilege, surrounded by a treasure trove of wisdom and experience. May God’s love and protection be upon each and every one of them.

07.06.2024 – 3.05pm, relieved 😌 is an understatement! And I am overjoyed to share that I’ve passed the final CPA module exam after three previous attempts! This journey has taught me the value of patience, perseverance, and persistence. No matter how many setbacks you face, it’s essential to stay determined and keep pushing forward. I’m thrilled to have achieved this milestone and can’t wait to see where my certification takes me!

‭Proverbs 16:9 NKJV‬

[9] A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Yes, when God is at the centre of our plans and goals – no matter what we face – He will always be there for us every step of the way. I’m truly grateful to God 🙏❤️

29.06.2024 – 10.30am; love the Bible verse above – God’s grace is unending and powerful. I’ve discovered in this waiting season that God hears the prayer of each and every one of us here on earth. God bless you! Or bless you! God help me! They are not just words. These are prayers, utterances, that don’t go unnoticed by God. Pray for peace in our lives, our families, communities, villages, cities, states/ provinces, countries, and globally.

I’m grateful to God for His provision in my life 🫶 This week, I started on a temporary placement, not too far from home. Answered prayers, that’s what they are 🙏 ❤️ And I will continue praying for God’s wisdom and discernment so I can see, hear, and understand His plans for me. God loves you and I – keep the faith always.

We’re halfway through 2024 – another 26 weeks to go! What are  you and I doing for the Lord? Are your plans in alignment with God’s or your own pleasures? That’s the challenge for the rest of 2024 and beyond.

07.07.2024 – 12.12 am: I’m writing this down to remind me of three key words/ phrases etc I’ve picked up this past week from various bible readings, devotionals, sermons: God’s SOVEREIGNTY 🙏, Pride vs Humility, and Nothing is Impossible with God (Matthew 19:26). I pray that God will keep me grounded, remind me daily of His sovereignty, that I am nothing without Him in my life and that through Him the possibilities are endless 🫶

20.09.2024 – 11.02pm: wowww it’s been two long months, almost three since I last wrote here. So much has happened during this time. I’m still working in the temporary role – a real blessing – longer than I expected. But that’s God’s provision, and I don’t take it for granted. I miss the volunteer duties I’ve been involved in & the many people I encountered. And was sad to hear that some have passed on. I miss the Monday morning Bible Study fellowship with ladies from church, whose prayers continue to uphold my family and I.

Tuesday – 24.09.2024, 7.57am: I’m on the bus, on my way to work. And reflecting on time, its value and all. Often taken for granted, time’s preciousness becomes clear in life’s pivotal moments: loss, illness, or uncertainty. Time’s relativity is a choice: waste it, and you’ll crave more; invest in loved ones, memories, and personal growth, and its fleeting nature becomes irrelevant.

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.

Stephen Covey

During my recent cardiology appointment, I learned that my CTCA scan revealed a 70% lesion in my LAD. Discussing the severity with the cardiologist, he recommended an angiogram for a definitive diagnosis, leaving me wondering if my time is limited.

However, this morning’s reflections and readings have shifted my focus: time isn’t mine to manage, but a precious gift from God. The real question becomes, ‘How am I stewarding this divine gift of time?’

James 4:13-15 NIV

[13] Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” [14] Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. [15] Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 

Amen! Thank you, God, for continually reminding me of your sovereignty, holiness, and grace that you pour out daily on an undeserving person like me ❤️

Psalms 90:12 NIV

[12] Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Monday, 21.10.2024 – 1.15am! A month has passed since my last entry, and what a journey it has been. Time seems to warp and twist, making moments feel like an eternity. Yet, I’ve reached a peaceful place, free from regrets, trusting in God’s sovereignty and divine timing.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

[1] There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

In two weeks, I’ll undergo my third angiogram. Lately, I’ve been overwhelmed by fear, apprehension, confusion, anxiety, and doubt. But I’m coming to realize it’s normal to feel this way – I’m human, after all. I’m learning to acknowledge and accept these feelings, reminding myself it’s okay to be vulnerable and that I don’t have to be fearless.

Weakness is okay; God’s strength shines through when we are weak or at our lowest points. That’s when we should be on our knees, praying earnestly to the one true God who holds my life/ our lives securely, wrapped in His love and protection. I am/ We are treasured in His sight.

Isaiah 49:16 NIV

16] See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

To God be the glory always 🙏 ❤️

Thursday, 24.10.2024 – 8pm: 5 years ago, today my husband and I were on the brink of our dream vacation, affectionately dubbed “bubumoon” 😊. I vividly remember our frenzied preparations – midnight Kmart run and packing marathon – as we readied ourselves for two weeks in Europe. Though excitement dominated, a tinge of uncertainty lingered. Hindsight reveals that our worries were unwarranted.

Wednesday – 30.10.2024: 55 years and a day older, how do I feel? Perhaps no different, yet I believe we are subtly transformed every moment. Every day brings growth, transforming us into new versions of ourselves. Time’s relentless pace ensures no moment is identical. This reality underscores the wisdom of living each day as if it’s our last, to cherish life’s fleeting nature and to live with intention.

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

~ Charles R Swindoll ~

Thursday, 30.01.2025 – 3.30pm; wowwww, it’s been a while – four months, to be exact – since I last shared an update. Life has been busy, and I believe one of the last thing I wrote about was a health scare – where a CTCA scan detected a 70% blockage in my LDA (lower descending artery), a potentially life-threatening condition often referred to as the ‘widow maker’. Seeing my worried face, the cardiologist arranged for an angiogram.

After a nerve-wracking wait, my third angiogram took place in November. Thankfully, the results were a welcome surprise – a 40% blockage, far less severe than initially thought. I’m thankful for this positive outcome and the skilled care of my cardiologist!

Saturday, 01.02.2025 – 3.20am update: spoke too soon! I’m writing this from bed, just 30 minutes after being discharged from Campbelltown ER. Last night’s scary symptoms – chest pains, dizziness, headache, and fatigue – sent me to the ER, but thankfully, heart enzyme tests came back clear. Now, it’s rest, meds, and taking it easy. Yes, a reminder to prioritize my health and well-being

Wednesday, 26.03.2025 – 5.18pm: sitting on the train on my way home, reflecting on the chaotic few weeks we’ve had at home. A relentless wave of illnesses – flu, diarrhea, fever, and more – has taken its toll. It’s been a non-stop battle, with each of us falling ill one after the other. Some bouts have been mild, while others have hit hard. Now, I’m wondering what winter has in store for us.

Gazing at this 7-year-old picture of our home’s humble beginnings, I’m overwhelmed with nostalgia. Our journey to build a family home was far from easy. We faced numerous challenges, frustrations, and uncertainties, but our unwavering commitment to creating a home for our loved ones kept us motivated. Today, as I look at our home, I’m reminded that every obstacle was worth overcoming.

Reading the words above from ‘Letters of Annawin’ reaffirms my faith that in God, that He meticulously maps out our life’s journey. Reflecting on our own ‘building a home’ path, we’re reminded of God’s unrelenting love and generosity, and we’re forever thankful for His boundless grace.

Sunday, 18.05.2025 – 8.30am; what a whirlwind road trip to the Sunshine State and back. Redcliffe to be more specific. It was an incredible 3 days of touch footy! We are so proud of and happy for our son who represented Australia for the 2nd time. The first time was in May 2023. They played against teams from New Zealand, Cook Islands, Philippines, and other Asia Pacific countries.

Redcliffe turned on its perfect weather 🌞. Going home with grateful hearts – thanking God always for answered prayers, love, life, and family 🙏❤️

Update (22.05.2035): I’m thankful that we made it home from QLD safely before the flooding hit. Although we drove through rain on our 12-hour trip back, it wasn’t too severe at the time. The flooding started on Monday, May 19. Our thoughts and prayers are with those in NSW affected by the heavy rainfall and flooding. Tonight in Rarotonga, Cook Islands – we met a lovely couple from Newcastle who are flying home tomorrow; thankfully, their home is safe, but they were worried about getting home as there has been major public transport disruptions due to the flooding.

Friday, 23.05.2025 – 12.08pm, as I gazed out the plane window between Rarotonga and Aitutaki, a familiar Psalm came to mind, I just couldn’t work out which one. I captured this image of my bookmark, a prayer guide from church with the Lord’s Prayer against the backdrop of the plane window and the sky outside. The sky felt within reach, and I felt like I could touch it or shake God’s hand 🙏

I wrote down these words as I tried to recall the Psalm.

My God, You Are There

Oh, if I were to reach the ceilings of the sky,
Painted blue or grey
Clouds or no clouds
Rain or sunshine
I will not be afraid for I know
My God, you are there.

Oh, if I were to sail to the ends of the world Under blue or grey skies
Through calm or stormy seas
Rain or sunshine
I will not be afraid for I know for certain
My God, you are there.

~ idauhahine, May’25 ~

It wasn’t until we landed and got internet that I finally found the Psalm I was thinking of.

Psalms 139:7-14 NIV

[7] Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? [8] If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. [9] If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, [10] even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. [11] If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” [12] even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. [13] For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. [14] I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Salamo 139.7-14 Motu

Oi Laumamu ena amo lau ede bainala? Oi vairamu ena amo lau ede baina heau henia
Guba ai bama dae, to oi na unuseni ai; mase taudia edia gabu ai egu geda bama lahaia, ai danu. 
Daba hanina bama abi, bama roho lao, gadobada daudauna ai bama hanoho, unuseni ai danu oi imamu ese bema hakaugu, oi imamu idibana ese bema dogogu tao. 
Bama toma “Dibura ese baine gorugu ahu, bona e ḡeḡegu daemu diarina na baine dibura”; to, dibura na dia dibura oiemu ai, hanuaboi eme diari dina heḡereḡerena; badina be dibura bona diari na heḡereḡere oiemu ai. 
Oi ese taugu anina o karaia, sinagu bogana ai o karagu. Na imodaimumu, badina be oi na mai garimu bona mai hoamu; emu kara na hoa gaudia. 
Oi na dibamu herea lau;

I will finish off here and start another diary soon, kicking off with our Cook Island (CI) 🇨🇰 trip.

For now, thank you for reading this far. I hope you enjoyed this. Please feel free to provide feedback on my writing and storytelling skills by commenting or emailing back.

To God be the glory always 🙏❤️