#1 KAREN

What’s following has been in my mind for months now.

After travelling a lot the past couple years and meeting so many beautiful souls on my road, I’ve decided to write portraits of those amazing people who made my journey so much brighter.

So here we go for the first one, honouring someone I’ll never thank enough for all the good she did to me.

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I’ve met Karen for the first time more than a year ago, on the 19th of November 2015 in the Lancelin Lodge – yes, I’ve got a really good memory and I remember noteworthy dates, amongst other things, very well.

Karen is the lady running this hostel, so our meeting was about room keys, house rules and linen pack.

At that time, I stayed couple weeks only there and was working crazy hours so I wasn’t taking part in the Lodge’s life.

So I left the place as I walked in, quietly.

Months later, when I had to find a place to crash, this is where I headed again.

Karen welcomed me without any questions and let me rest a little.

Once again, I didn’t get involved with the people there because I was that broken, all I wanted was peace of mind.

Then couple weeks later, I left Lano, quietly again.

I left Australia to purse new adventures all around the world and few months later I went back to Lano.

No one was expecting to see me there again and Karen, even if surprised, welcomed me with open arms and a bright smile.

And this time, we finally connected on a new level.

Almost a year after our first meeting, we finally get to know each other.

I finally dropped my guard and open my healing heart to who was going to be someone truly amazing and worth knowing.

She helped me a lot, probably more than she realised.

I met her again at a point of my life when I was going though some hard times and she took me under her wing, keeping my head up and my heart strong.

What’s amazing about Karen is her heart of gold. She is taking care of her guests as she’ll do it with her own kidos. She got a wonderful energy and a powerful aura capable to soothe and unwind any aching soul.

And few weeks before I left – on the 19th of November 2016, on the very same day I get to Lancelin for the first time in 2015 – she made me one of the most meaningful present ever: an amethyst stone to protect me along the way.

Isn’t it gorgeous? 😍

Quite naturally, Karen became one of my Aussie moms – yes, I manage to get myself several new moms down under ♡ – and I’m over the moon about it.

It took me a lot not to burst into tears when I left Lano few weeks ago but I know we’ll meet again one day.

So thanks a lot Karen.

Thanks for the laughters, your precious life advices, your time, the evening sipping white wine in the garden…

And I’ll see you eventually in Lano when I’ll come back to the Lodge with my kids as I promised you.

Here’s to more happy days sunbathing in the garden under the Hibiscus!

♡