Acres, not hours!

Today (more like  last Wednesday as a result of some health issues, this is a late upload... very late upload) I am super grateful for our farmers! Thanks to my job, I get the pleasure of going to various farms and having a good old yarn to farmers that are our neighbours.

This, most of the time, is one of my favourite things about my job. Hanging out in the middle of nowhere, having a chit-chat in the company of the locals, some cows and the occasional prized bull.

Now, I can't say that every visit is a pleasant visit, but what I can say is I totally get and understand our adjoining landowners frustrations. This is their livelihood, it's ours too. So yesterday, I was on site, visiting a landowner about an acquisitions deal I have been working on with them very closely.  On my way to their property, my heart sank.... over 10,000 acres of their cattle country had been severely impacted by a recent fire after a electrical storm - to top if off they are also impacted by one of the worst droughts they have had in years.

Yep, peeps... these aren't the farms you see on T.V. for commercials with the perfect manicured green grass with a fat cow happily mooing or the farms the Politicians visit... These farms are reality... Hearing them talk about the struggle, how if they don't get rain soon they won't survive, the lack of support that they receive, the tax implications suffered at the hands of the government with the recent 'five for a farmer' fundraiser and the knowledge that the government will fork out water to a mining company for free or limited fees, but wont support the people that supply the fresh produce and meat that we consume daily. 

So as we walked and talked through their property, you could hear the crunch of the dry lifeless grass from under your boots, the struggle in their voice, and the heat that was so intense it was sucking your soul - my heart broke. I am so grateful, and even more grateful that what I was before - for all the struggle, defeat at the hands of mother nature, lack of support and ridiculously hard work our rural farmers put in day in and day out to provide what they do for our greater community.

It's so good to be home!

There is nothing in this world that I could be more grateful for today (being Tuesday) than the view of Brisbane from the air knowing that I am minutes away from being home.

I don't do long stints away from home, but towards the end of this year, I have and will be going away a little more than normal, for 2-3 days at a time. Now, as I have mentioned before, I truly love the job I have and the industry I am working in. However, I really do miss my family and home when I am away.

Today, I am bound for home... I am super excited like I always get excited. I always book a window seat on my way home... Actually, I book a window seat every single time... But by far an f'n must on my way home.

One of my many favourite things on the way home is the view from the top as we approach Brisbane... I will never get sick of that view... I see it and it's that instant sigh feeling like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders... I instantly relax... Well kind of, ok so I am relaxed and at the same time freaking quietly out about landing... I fly a lot, but that landing shit gets me every time!

And then a massive wave of excitement comes over me... the closer I get, the more excited I get. That feeling of knowing that in a matter of minutes I am going to see my big and little loves and have my face covered in their kisses and my arms wrapped around all of them.

Adios! The fasten seatbelt light has been turned on by my captain and we are now preparing for our decent... Time to pack up this bad boy, hold on for dear life as we land. And then, go score me some much-needed hugs and kisses!

All the great speakers were bad at first!

Today, being Monday I am grateful for moving my own personal mountains, conquering my fears and owning public speaking. 

Since late Sunday afternoon, I have been in regional North Queensland for work, in preparation of my second and many to come training session around Land Access. Today, I felt comfortable...so comfortable I didn't even have to try and imagine the audience being naked... 

I didn't stumble on my words, the content just flowed out of my mouth just as gracefully as the f-boms, shits and mates flowed.  My audience was engaged and interacted throughout the training not just at the end of the training session...when I force them to talk to me to discuss their constraints...

I have always hated public speaking... It definitely wasn't one of my strong points in High School...ok, ok, I was reeeealy bad!  My hands would always shake uncontrollably, which sucks when you had to try and read from palm cards... I would stumble on my words, I'd forget what I was talking about and make up some complete utter bullshit on the spot... So, I always avoid it... I literally run for the hills avoid it. 

So when I pushed to be the face of the training, a part of me inside was screaming WTF Karen! What are you thinking! You hate public speaking! Shut Up! Put that hand down now biatch! But I know that nothing exciting happens when you stay inside your comfort zone.

So here I am out of my comfort zone, travelling around North Queensland, killing goals and annoying the shit out of a bunch of field staff about Land Access!

Doing what I love!

Today, I am grateful for my job... Yep! I totally went there.

Most people, unfortunately, don't love or like their job, which to me is so unfortunate... Regardless if you work for yourself for someone else, you should be doing something you enjoy/love. I am one of those lucky suckers that actually love what they do... You know what they say, work in a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life.

Don't get me wrong, shit in the office isn't always peaches... And to be honest, what in life is peaches all the time? Could you imagine it? How is that actually living, not having shit hit the fan every now and then... You would never learn or grow. Life would be so boring, tedious and the same shit over and over..... and over again.

The company I work for also offers the most amazing work-life balance and the industry I work in offers the best on the field - in the office balance. One day I could be working from home in my jim-jams - doing the school pick up and drop off.  Or, I could be in the office in back to back meetings about so many different real estate related issues. And then, the next I could be rocking the PPE, talking to farmers in rural Queensland, inspecting culverts and hanging out with a herd of cows and the occasional prize bull.

I have a very analytical thought process, so my job keeps me busy from negotiating deals in a closed market or mitigating risk and I love it... creepy... I am successful in my field, thanks to my determination, my analytical abilities, and perseverance...

I am so grateful I believed in myself, I stayed determined when it was easier to give up, and that everything that has happened in my life has gotten me to where I am now - in a job I truly do love.