I’ve dreamed of writing this post for weeks months. Well not this exact post, but I’ve been dreaming of the reason I would love to write such a post.

Something crazy, super sad & just over-the-moon ridiculously exciting is happening. Nineteen year old Emma would never have considered it. Even now at twenty-four years old, and as I tag my friends in Instagram posts of Melbourne breakfasts, I still can’t quite believe I’m typing this.

I am leaving Melbourne.

It seems that after 39 job applications, 14 interviews & twelve months of working a mixture of contract, part time & casual dietitian positions in Melbourne & along the South Gippsland Highway, I have been offered – in the words of Nicole – the dream.

One week  ago I was offered a permanent full time dietitian position.

And I am so relieved.

All the driving, sleeping in three places a week & hard work had paid off. In fact, my life just did a 180 and sorted itself out.

8 days ago I woke up working 2 days per week, living staying with Ben, having my life packed up in boxes & having no idea what the future was going to bring.

8 days ago I went to bed knowing that I no longer have a list of job applications to do, and I can finally unpack all my beautiful mixing bowls & crockery. (I’m not sure which one I am most excited by.)

It’s ridiculous what just one phone call can do.

But as a dear friend once said tagged me on Instagram – ‘Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure’.

The past fifteen months has been quite an adventure.  While it has been harder than I imagined, and so much has happened which I would never have expected, I wouldn’t change a thing. 189 days ago I started the 468 km round trip to ‘very remote’ Gippsland to work two days per week as a community dietitian. It was crazy, but I’m so glad I did it. It’s been so rewarding to meet my clients, help my clients & go visit the local primary schools and talk food groups, play with food models & make hommus with the children.

Sadly, the time has already come to start saying goodbye to my community clients (and be asked about my love life – three clients in a row. Three). Soon it will be time to say goodbye to Gippsland & the friends I’ve made. And then, in 23 sleeps, it will be a see you later to the world’s most liveable city.

The city that has been my home for five years and seven months.

The city that has seen my fist pump moments, my struggles, and everything in between.

The city where driving thirty minutes to breakfast, and waiting another thirty minutes in line is totally acceptable.

The city where lining up for gelato at 10pm in the middle of winter, and standing outside eating said gelato in the middle of winter is also acceptable.

The city that taught me that a busy eatery is the sign of a good eatery, regardless of it’s location or ability to meet food safety standards.

The city that saw me buy my new bike, crash said new bike, buy a new car & repair new car.

The city that saw me go from struggling to run 4km to exceeding my goal of running the 15k Run for kids.

The city that fueled my love of breakfast, gelato and peanut butter.

The city that saw me achieve my dream of becoming a dietitian.

But more importantly, the city that allowed me to meet some of the best people in my life.

This all made me think of the above Hermione quote.

Housemates, house parties & late night trips to 24 hour kmart. O-week parties, parties on boats & parties on buses. The spring racing carnival, university balls & new years eve celebrations. Rooftop birthdays, summer music festivals & fun runs. Harry Potter trivia nights, harry potter movie midnight viewings & frozen birthday parties.  Celebrity spotting, Chobani events & mushroom foraging. Road trips to the Peninsula, to the Yarra Valley and to the south.  Breakfast, Brunch, lunch, dinner & after-dinner gelato dates. Night markets, food truck festivals, bar openings & restaurant openings. End of exam celebrations, end of degree celebrations & we’ve finally got jobs celebrations.

It’s all been fabulously wonderful.

    

      

    

But it’s all been fabulously wonderful because of the people I have met.

     

The people who have shared in my fist pump moments, my struggles & everything in between.

   

The people that know how to hand model, will line up for 30 minutes for breakfast, and share my love of gelato, peanut butter and broccoli.

     

  

The main reason leaving Melbourne sucks.

But it’s time for a new adventure and the next step in my career, and really, I’m actually going off like a frog in a sock.

So here’s to the my final weeks in Gippsland, catching up and hashtagging #breakfastinmelbourne with friends, and at least one more trip to Messina.

Here’s to working full time as a clinical dietitian, sleeping in the same bed every night & finally unpacking my boxes.

Here’s to driving only seven minutes to breakfast, 5.6km to work and weekend trips back to Melbourne.

And here’s to moving home and working in the same hospital as my mum.

Because it does seem that, in fact, you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.

Emma xo