One very challenging and yet beautiful day.

Here are the 10 main parts of my day that had me take 10,000 steps today:

1️⃣ Getting ready to drive to a new parkrun here in the A.C.T. (Australian Capital Territory)

2️⃣ Running most of and walking some of the very hilly, trail parkrun at Mount Ainslie

Photo credit goes to Brad (@new.things). Thanks for waiting at the finish line for me babe!

I saw several people I knew
even though we're more than 1,000km from home!
And some of them I hadn't seen in years!

3️⃣ After parkrun we made the most of the washing machine in this apartment and washed one very full load. I then made the most of the balcony and hung the whole lot out where I hoped it would get sun, laying it over as many clean bits of furniture I could find.

In between I heard a woman yell out,
"Help!" in a voice full of fear.
I wasn't sure where it came from
but soon enough there was a scuffle outside
in a nearby apartment as a young man attempted to
restrain a young woman in a way that confirmed for me
where the yelling must have come from.
It was not at all pleasant and I realised I needed to report it.
I wasn't going to stand by and witness domestic violence
and not do something about it.
For the first time in my entire adult life,
I called '000' and asked for the police.

4️⃣ We drove back to the vegetarian/vegan cafe that my friend works out. I didn't think she'd be there as she'd mentioned she was going on an adventure down south today. To my delight, she was. No sooner had she said hello than I took her hands and asked her to help ground me. I told her what had happened as I felt tears run down my face. She calmly reassured me and then walked out from behind the counter to give me a big hug. I am so very grateful to have this depth of friendship and trust with her even though, before yesterday, it was literally three years since I'd seen her.

Photo credit: Brad. Thanks for remembering to take a photo of me with my darling friend.

5️⃣ With a range of fabulously yummy food in the car we headed out to my brother's place. For the first time in 12 months, I got to hug my "little" brother (all 6' 4'' of him!) and his wife. And at the same time, we got to meet our 8-week old nephew. He's so cute!!

6️⃣ The house and the yard clearly needed some love. With the combination of being first-time parents and having just moved into this house only a month before bub was born and having stupid amounts of rain, there was clearly stuff to be done that the two of them were just not managing to do on their own. So we weeded (me) and cut the grass (Brad)... and

7️⃣ I cleaned the kitchen surfaces and washed several loads of dishes... and

8️⃣ cleaned the bathroom surfaces... and

9️⃣ vacuumed the floor.

That lot definitely added a lot of steps.

🔟 All that was left was to drive home and walk back up the apartment steps again. I was definitely very tired by the time I was taking these last set of steps.

What a heart-opening and heart-breaking day. I felt a lot of things today. A lot. But the strongest feeling of all is the immense amount of gratitude I have.

Photo by William Barlow, the legend.

I feel grateful to be able to travel.

I feel grateful to have been able to do a new parkrun.

I feel grateful to have seen so many familiar, smiling faces.

I feel grateful to have received support from my darling friend when I was in distress.

I feel grateful to have had so many yummy food for lunch (and dinner!) today.

I feel grateful to now have clean, dry washing to pack for our flight tomorrow.

I feel grateful to have been able to spend five hours with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew whom we so rarely see.

And, I feel extremely grateful, that I feel very, very safe with my beloved man whom I know loves me, cherishes me and would never, ever deliberately hurt me.

Thank God.

Photo of kangaroo, by me, at Mount Ainslie, A.C.T.