The lights are back on.

Self indulgent.

I only spent a few days on my own over the Christmas period and that’s how they felt.

Self indulgent because you spend a lot of that time just reflecting on you.  And your year.  And what you’ve learned.

And when you finally get bored and get out of your own head, your reflection moves to  a much more appropriate place: to the people that made up your year.

The people that are your core: your family, your old friends who you love like family, your workmates.  The ones that held you up or dragged you through disappointment and filled you with confidence.

The 4th birthday party, the dinner and musical, your favourite band, nights out in Brisbane and Sydney and Singapore.

And the people you’ve met: the journalist on a tinder date, the artist with a love of coffee, the food guy who was so passionate about what he did and so articulate about the world, the policeman who travelled to Australia because he was a Mad Max fan, the scientist who loves to cycle, the IT guy taking a risk and pursuing his passion as his living, the brilliant photography teacher who filled you full of confidence as you walked the streets of Soho, the yoga instructor who was the epitome of calm (and an iron fist in a velvet glove), the 4 Greek retirees travelling on a round the world ticket for three months, the taxi driver who gives you advice on where to be and at what time to make sure you’re safe.

The 3 extraordinary women who taught you about determination and perserverance.

The Mayan healer who read your fortune (via some chicken egg whites) and talked to you about balance.  And who hugged you when you left and told you how she may not remember your name but she would remember your face and your story.

The concreting of a friendship that started 10 years ago in a bar Philadelphia.

Hiking with your friend in Central Oregon and realising that there is true joy in laughing exactly like you had done with her 7 years prior.

Spending more time with a friend that has only left you wishing you’d realised you had this much in common a lot earlier.

And revisiting a friend and her family in one of your favourite cities.

And staying in a spare room with your dear friends in one of your old ‘hoods and thinking “I have unfinished business in this town…”

Reconnecting with friends on the continent and seeing them smile as they change their lives for the better.

And the number of friends who opened not only their homes but their families to you – some for a meal, some for a night and some for Christmas.

And all the long term travellers looking for different experiences, wanting advice but each leaving you with a new way of looking at the world.

And the people you had to let go of as well.  There were only one or two but they were the hardest of all.

And you come out at the end – and you did more than survive.  You made a change, you moved, you adapted and you formed even more connections.  Some are already life long friends.  Some have already shown you friendship you would only expect of people you’d known for decades.

This last year you have seen more of the best of people.

Now, instead of staying silent so you can listen to the world: you feel like you can listen and learn and tell your stories again, all at the same time.

The lights are back on.

Get Lost.  Stay curious.