Goodbye Sydney

People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you’re fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax maintaining it, you must make mighty effort to keep swimming upward in that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don’t, you will leak away your innate contentment. It’s easy enough to pray when you’re in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments.

This would be my final blog. My Sydney days are over. Many thanks to those who made my stay pleasant and warm...

To my Kiwi gal Jovanna, for always having a glass Vila Maria ready for me, introducing me to Sydney night life, and helping my put my feet on the ground when I was struggling to adjust. 

To my co-star Linda Ngo, for spinning with me throughout Sydney, and brightening my day with her warmth and generosity, and making me smile and laugh sincerely with her happiness, goofiness, and with merely being uninhibitedly fashionable. 

To my Swedish friend Nadja, for her company in many of our adventures, in broad day light at the beach, bush, and city, but also in night time, her easiness to smile, always guaranteeing me to have a good time, and above all giving me a stunning surfer hair style. 

To my Wisconsin roomie Cassie, for being an inexhaustible source of inspiration in the kitchen, being my Clovelly beach companion through times of thunder and sunburns, and of course for all the gossips we shared about our favorite topic: the dramatic landlord couple.

To the entire Garvan Institute staff, but of course particularly my supervisor Kylie.  

Finally, to the provider Virgin Mobile, for allowing me to make free, endless, geeky science phone calls to my dear Dutch friend Lianne in Brisbane.

I cherish all the moments we shared and wish you all the best. I hope our paths will cross again in the future. 

Lastly, of course, thanks to all my loyal blog readers who have stuck with me until the end! 

Time to go home :) 

Vincent.