It's 2010 and I've been in Australia for about a month and am finally settling into things. I'm still dying of homesickness but am eager to find a job and am already thinking of extending my stay in Oz.

My friend Ian tells me I need to relax and come live with him in his van, and I consider it, but ditch him quickly for a local named Alan. Alan and I dive into a very passionate fling. The fling takes us on a disastrous trip to Fraser Island and our ending is as swift as our beginning.

I travel up and down the coast from Yamba to Byron Bay to Brisbane and back again. I get food poisoning on an island and worry I might die. My friend and I are fighting constantly and the zoo makes me feel nothing but sadness.

I turn 22 and stay on the job hunt. I get my heart broken, stomped on, and spit out. I decide I want to make some changes.... and decide I'm going to fly West! All that and more in this DOOZY of an episode. <3

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books here <3

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Kid's Help Phone: You can reach a professional counsellor at Kids Help Phone in English or French 24/7 by calling 1-800-668-6868

9-8-8: Call or text from anywhere in Canada or the U.S., anytime

CMHA: Call Reach Out at 1-866-933-2023 to receive mental health and/or addictions support

I'm skipping ahead a bit here and taking you to 2009. Brokenhearted from my messy break up with Corey, I let myself fall into the arms of the friend of my best friend's boyfriend. Him and I try desperately (and unsuccessfully!) to fit a whole relationship into a few months because surprise! I'm flying to Australia and no one can stop me.

Australia is the furthest I've ever traveled, and I am drowning in homesickness. So much so, I am having visions of the guy I left behind, and am rying myself to sleep while the other backpackers surf paradise around me.

I write about 20K words in the first 48 hours and every single one of them spells 'anxious attachment.' One minute, I am fighting with my friend, the next I am making out with a Dutch guy on the beach, the next I am cooking for everyone in the hostel. Total whirlwind.

Don't worry! I share how to properly make a Vegemite sandwich, chef-stylez. I also get a foot rub from Jamie Oliver's cousin (lol)! I am pounding 'goon,' which is a wine (if you can call it that!) that costs $11 for 4 liters!!

This episode certainly isn't a party, although there is a fair amount of that. I get caught stealing and hate myself so much that I almost decide to go home. Instead, I wander aimlessly up the East Coast and try to find myself.

Join me in Bondi, Sydney, Byron Bay, and Yamba. <3 You might want to take a lorazepam for this one!!!

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books here <3

------------

Kid's Help Phone: You can reach a professional counsellor at Kids Help Phone in English or French 24/7 by calling 1-800-668-6868

9-8-8: Call or text from anywhere in Canada or the U.S., anytime

CMHA: Call Reach Out at 1-866-933-2023 to receive mental health and/or addictions support

The long-awaited episode is here!! I finally had the chance to sit down and interview my Dad, Ron, for The Angsty Pod!

"Let's call it a journal, not a diary!" lol Dads... ammiright?!?!

We sat down in my Dad's living room, mic between us, Dad sipping wine, me sipping Gingerale, and we talked for about four hours. We covered all kinds of topics, including the way his mother smelled, eating escargot, staying open to life's opportunities, writing practice, and much more.

In this episode, it's 1979, and my Dad, age 20, is backpacking through Europe. His mother, my grandmother, has recently died and he is living at home with his father, my Gido. It's the first time he's left the country, been on a plane, or rode in a taxi... and he does it all in the first page of this journal. He ultimately wanted to end up in India, to become a yogi and learn more about meditation, or, in his words, "I wanted to live in a cave and become a guru."

But the story takes a turn when he is "bamboozled" in Rome. He loses most of his money and the scam leaves him completely broken hearted. His shame over the incident, 45+ years later, is still profound.

"It was the most beautiful, incredible journey I've ever had in my life; the most adventurous, and I learned SO much... but there were so many other moments of pain and sadness and loneliness."

We end this episode with a conversation about travel, and Dad even agreed to read some poems!

This is one of my favourite episodes, as well as a personal & career highlight for me. I know my Dad will appreciate you for listening, and I do too!!

For more info on my work as a writing coach or to sign up for workshops, head to www.doulaofwords.com

To sign up to be a guest, please email Yoda at yoda@thedoulaofwords.com - we'd love to have you!

Find my books here <3

------------

Kid's Help Phone: You can reach a professional counsellor at Kids Help Phone in English or French 24/7 by calling 1-800-668-6868

9-8-8: Call or text from anywhere in Canada or the U.S., anytime

CMHA: Call Reach Out at 1-866-933-2023 to receive mental health and/or addictions support