Diary of a Girl Abroad.: Welcoming 2010 with open arms

2009 has been a massive year for me.

As it began I was blissfully living in my own apartment in Sydney's Inner West, working as an entertainment reporter in a job I loved (hello perks, how I miss you) and falling in love with Mr Marvellous.

By the end of 2009 I had moved out of my apartment and rented it to a Brazillian couple (I'm sure there's a green and yellow flag proudly flapping in the window), quit my amazing job through floods of tears, packed up my life, kissed my family and friends goodbye, and followed Mr Marvellous to Hong Kong.

It's been a year of extreme highs, lows and some middles.

I have surprised myself at how excited I was to leave all that was most comfortable to me, and start again with a clean, unplanned slate. I haven't felt that free and refreshed since I was an 18-year-old backpacking around the top end of Australia.

I surprised myself at how quickly I warmed to Hong Kong. I only just arrived, and I already know in my heart that I will shed a tear one day at how much I miss this place. It's made a significant impact.

I was thrilled to discover that living with B in a small city apartment in a brave new land has been nothing short of a pleasurable experience. I feel closer to him than ever, albeit a few couplish clashes here and there during high stress times.

I have been disheartened to find out that there really aren't any television entertainment reporter jobs in Hong Kong, and that finding job satisfaction that matched what I had before is most likely not going to happen anytime soon. That has been an extremely difficult adjustment for me and is still a work in progress.

But, I was given the rare chance to work freelance and have more time to smell the orchids, start my own business franchise, and return to the opportunities of university.

Highs, lows, or middles, I feel incredibly positive about what's to come this year and I welcome 2010 with open arms.