*The post was so long it had trouble loading it all so I had to split it in two, here is the second part*

Day Thirteen (Friday 30th September 2022)

Today the Airbnb host was having an open house in my place so I had to go out for the day. I had this picture of Perth on my Etsy Wishlist that had been there for over a year now, and I now, after being here a few weeks, recognise where that area in the photo is, so I wanted to go and recreate it and see if I could take the exact same photo.

I first went to McDonald’s for breakfast where I had a very weird tasting blue Fanta slushie thing, I don’t know what I think of them. Then I walked around the city for a bit and I got a new blue hoodie from one of the Australian souvenir shops.

Then I got the blue CAT bus into Elizabeth Quays to find the place where the Etsy picture was taken. And I found it!! I was so happy. On my way back home I went back via Perth and I bought a new case and screen protector for my iPad.

While I was on the bus today, the driver started driving as I was in the middle of drinking and it went ALL OVER ME! I was very sticky for the rest of the day. I got home and showered. All the house has been cleaned and my things moved and I wasn’t happy at all!!

After I had showered I put the tv back where it belongs, aka in my bedroom. Then I put on my iPad new case and screen protector and I love them! I think I did it so perfectly. These are the pictures from today!

Day Fourteen (Saturday 1st October 2022)

Today I woke up and as instructed by my girlfriend last night, the first thing I said in the morning had to be ‘rabbits’. Which I did.

I made Dino nuggies and chips and veg for breakfast? Brunch? And then I had to wait in all morning for the new AirPods Pro that I bought online. I paid an extra $15 to have them delivered between 1-4 the same day. To my surprise, the dude was eager and shown up at 12:57.

Then I just had to go out and test them. So I got the bus into Perth where I meaninglessly pottered around for a few hours. I went to Kmart and got a new cup and a tripod for my phone, but it’s broken so I shall go to buy glue tomorrow to fix the broken leg on it.

I ordered Chinese food tonight but it wasn’t very nice at all. Very dry. And I did not have any soy sauce! What a waste of $17.

Day Fifteen (Sunday 2nd October 2022)

I really hate Sundays. I wanted to go out early, but then I remember that no where was open. After I got my shoes, and my bag on, I realise that even if I was to get the bus now they would be nowhere to get the bus to, because everywhere is still closed until 11am. Bearing in mind, this was about 9:30 in the morning. So I grudgingly had to take my shoes and my backpack off my back, and kept myself busy in my house until a more respectable time. I came to the conclusion that I was going to make a slush out of orange juice and orange ice lollies. It actually turned out better than I expected.

When I was finally able to go outside and go to the shops, I stood at the bus stop and because I need to get both the 67 bus and the 998 bus, I decided that I was going to go to which ever place the bus that came first. So for example, if the 67 came first- go to Perth first followed by Morley later on or if the 998 bus came first I’d go to Morley first and then the park later on.

The 67 bus came first, so I went to Kmart first I got some glue for my tripod (spoiler: ended up being terrible). And then I got some jeans which ended up fitting me rather well, as well as a T-shirt. I didn’t really take many pictures today as I was home by 2:30 pm. I also got a case for my AirPods and now they won’t get scratched. It didn’t come with anything to attach onto my back with, which I find quite weird.

I get to see my girlfriend tomorrow, so I’m very excited and I’m going to have to sleep early but I know I won’t be able to! I’m always so excited to see her, knowing that I have to leave in 11 days not knowing if I’ll ever see her again, really breaks my heart, but at least I got the opportunity to meet her, which, after so many years, I never thought I’d be able to do. And I will come back, I want her in my life forever and ever.

Day Sixteen (Monday 3rd October 2022)

Today I was very happy indeed! As today was a day that I get to see my girlfriend! She arrived at about 12:00ish and we didn’t do much, we just cuddled and ate sweets and stuff. Then as soon as she left, I got the weirdest message from the host, saying that she wants ANOTHER open house tomorrow, but that she wants to take me out to spend some “nice time together”. Me and my girlfriend can’t stop laughing over it!

Though that means that tomorrow we will have to move the tv back into the living room. I say we, because my beautiful girlfriend has offered to help me, isn’t she so perfect! Not a very long entry today, I am just so sleepy!

Day Seventeen (Tuesday 4th October 2022)

So, I wasn’t feeling the best last night, I kept waking up with a super dry mouth. I really wasn’t a fan. I got up and dressed at about 8am, shortly before my girlfriend woke up and told me she was going to leave about 11:15. I just worked on my books while she was on her way here, and once she was here I let her draw pictures on my iPad.

She spoke to me today about how she feels like she’s going crazy because she can’t connect the text version of me to the real life version of me. Which I can understand, I have known her and she’s known me for such a long time as only a texting version of one another.

She was super cute though, she told me it feels like she’s dreaming, and that she’s very happy. She told me to pinch her, I reluctantly squeezed her skin softly, and she was like “that wasn’t even a pinch, how’s that meant to wake me up?” I just found it super cute!

At 4:20 she left and at 4:30 the host came over and cleaned up a bit and then took me to this fish and chip place on the beach and we watched the sunset together. Was not impressed. The only person I want to be watching the sunset with is my girlfriend!

These are the pictures my girlfriend drew for me!

Day Eighteen (Wednesday 5th October 2022)

Today I was meant to go to the zoo, but I wanted to get 2 hoodies. One for me to wear and one for my girlfriend to wear from Friday (when I next see her) until I go back to England. And I don’t know if it was the season change but no where sold hoodies! I was getting so annoyed!

Not going to lie, I am feeling so exhausted to be honest. ou know when you wake up and you know you’re going to have one of those days where you just feel lethargic as hell and there’s not much you can do to stop that, that’s how I feel. I think travelling is taking a toll on me, as well as learning a new way of life, because well, this is kind of what has been. Even though I have enjoyed every second of it.

I didn’t see much point in walking around the zoo when I didn’t even want to go. I would much rather give my girlfriend a hoodie so I have one that smells like her for when I go back to England.

But seriously though, the trouble I had getting hoodies today was unreal! I tried multiple places, such as: Kmart, Target and even city beach! I ended up getting them from H&M, and looking back now, I think I was rude to the cashier… I didn’t mean to be though! It just really caught me off guard how friendly she was!

Today I got a new tripod as the one I got the other day couldn’t be fixed, no matter how much weird glue I used!. I didnt do much after that and just went to bed.

I had pizza for breakfast – which seems weird, I know. But, I’m on holiday! I had McDonalds for lunch and I got mayfair the monopoly sticker but I can’t use it in Australia as I can’t download the Australian monopoly app from my stupid British App Store! Honestly, the amount of time I tried to get mayfair back in England and I get it here! Where I can’t even use it!

Day Nineteen (Thursday 6th October 2022)

Today I woke up early at about 5am and I was freezing! So, even though it was super early, I got dressed in jeans and a hoodie and I even put socks on! Despite all of that thought, I then fell asleep again until about 9:30am.

I was going to go to the zoo today, but again, I really didn’t want to go. My aim of going is to take lots of pictures, mainly of the koalas, but I’m the type of person that can remember how I was feeling when taking pictures, and the last thing I wanted was to remember how much I didn’t want to go to the zoo while looking at all the pictures I took at the zoo.

I then had a shower, ate left over pizza from yesterday. Sounds gross, I know, but it really wasn’t! I then ordered Woolworths delivery, but as my luck would have it, they didn’t have half stuff I wanted! I then caught bus into Morley, with a list on my hand of things I need. The first being a lint roller, as well as some gifts for people in England, and some blue jeans, which I never ended up getting.

I then went to the Kmart in Morley to look for the tripod with bendy legs but they didn’t have one. Then I was looking for luggage straps when I got a phone call from host of the Airbnb but as per usual, I didn’t answer as I want everything said between us to be screenshotable, so she sent me a text saying that there was a last minute house opening within the hour , which really upset me as I left house in state as I was not aware of this the night before, which was the agreement when she told me about this the night that I got here.

She knew of my anxiety and agoraphobia beforehand, so what she did was super wrong. I thought I would only be out for 20 minutes but turns out that I couldn’t go home for hours which made me so anxious! I told her I wasn’t happy as I was totally unaware of any of this before it was already too late upon arriving in Australia, and she said she has to comply with contract.

But, the thing about hat is, she had already made a contract with me, months prior, and she created this second contract within mine, knowing it would affect my stay. Not only is that morally wrong, but fairly sure it’s illegal or at the very least, a lawsuit waiting to happen. I don’t ever get to choose the dates or the times that these happen, so I can’t even efficiently plan my holiday or days with my girlfriend (which she knew upon me booking that I would be seeing her).

Not only do I have to leave the property when these open houses take place, but none of my stuff can be on show either, all my clothes and belongings have to be hidden in cupboards or under the bed. One time, I was feeling very agoraphobic and didnt plan on going outside that day, which was the last time the host had an open house… Or the time before that, I’ve lost track at this point!

But when I came back home, all the clothes I had drying in the spare bedroom on a drying rack had been moved outside against my will. So, I am forced out the place I’ve paid good money to call home for a month, and have all my stuff moved either without my knowledge or against my will! it took me over two days to be able to get those clothes back inside, thats how anxious I was.

Anyway, since I was stuck outside today longer than I expected, I had to find a bus that goes directly from Morley to Perth, which I did indeed find, the 950! It doesn’t take you to the busport but instead to the stop before, it took about 25 minutes altogether! Needed to kill some time so I went to the Souvenirs Shop for some key-rings for people back home, aren’t I generous! I also got a very cute dark green t-shirt.

I then went to a store called Strand Bags where I got a luggage tag, I did look for luggage straps but couldn’t find any there either! I also still need a lock and key for my bags, but I got a suitcase! I got tape instead of a lint roller because I couldn’t find a lint roller anywhere!

Well, why do I need a lint roller, you may wonder. Because when my airbnb host’s washing machine isn’t turning all my while clothes brown (LITERALLY! YUCK!), it’s putting a lot of white fluff on the black hoodie I got to wear to give to my girlfriend at the end of my trip, so I will waste an entire evening de-fluffing it!

Also, when the host said I could return home, once again all my clothes and belongings were moved, and she gave a one small ice cream for my trouble… Okay. on my way ack I went to McDonalds where I had a small chicken wrap, chips and large coke slush (which will be one of the main things I miss when returning to England as we do not have them there).

I got back home and waited for my Woolworths delivery. which had things such as the dino nuggies in the world and some chocolate digestives. My girlfriend giggled at them at first but as soon as she started eating them, she well, she likes them now!

I am seeing her tomorrow and I’m so so super excited! even though I am feeling very very worn out, but not with her- never with her! I sometimes forget that I have never lived totally independently for this long before, and its very tiring to be so far away from everything you’ve ever known, but I would do it all again to hold her, to kiss her, to love her.

Day Twenty (Friday 7th October 2022)

Today I woke up pretty early and cleaned until I heard from my girlfriend and the time in which she would be coming over today. There really isnt much to talk about today as all we did was watch criminal minds and castle all day.

After she had gone home, I got food from Red Rooster and worked on my books on my iPad and drank coke until I started to feel sleepy!

I am seeing my girlfriend tomorrow too! I don’t think she realised I’m going home next week so now she wants to see me lots which is super cute and I am definitely not going to complain about it! I don’t want to leave!

Day Twenty One (Saturday 8th October 2022)

Today I got to see my girlfriend for a few hours, from 10am until 1pm, but she has work tonight so she had to leave early to get ready for that.So, after that I had lunch and went to Target and got the cutest koala baby blanket ever! I know its means for kids but it’ll look so cute on my sofa back home! When I miss Australia ill be able to wrap myself in it!

I also got these cute wooden beads to make a garland, they were from the Christmas isle and were meant to be a Christmas craft but hell nah to that! I bought some pastel rainbow colours and decided to paint them in the most colourful colours I could find! It symbolises that Australia and a certain someone here brought a rainbow of colour into my world.

I also bought a bottle of Pepsi which I am staring at right now as I am sat on the living room floor. I am sat here because I have been painting all night. That was until I got hungry so I ordered red rooster which I will miss a lot! I know some days are boring but I want to document everything because I don’t ever want to forget a single thing, and my memory can often let me down at times.

Day Twenty Two (Sunday 9th October 2022)

Today my girlfriend came over, so I cleaned up pretty much everything except for the half painted beads on the living room floor. When she got here I told her to not touch them, which she didn’t. I did in fact have such a lovely day today.

We didnt do much, but we laid in bed and played Buzzfeed quizzes. She did a quiz that was called “When will you see the love of your life” or something like that, and she said “The quiz said I will see them tomorrow!” and I looked at her grumpily. then she said “Don’t worry Alex, I’ll see you tomorrow”. Oh, my, heart.

I put the crystals my girlfriend got me as a gift outside as she said I need to charge them in full moon. Which I may not understand exactly why yet, but an interest of hers is an interest of mine! So I wrote a cute note to leave outside with them, which I’ve attached a picture of!

I had some gross ice cream tonight though, I don’t know why the Australians rave about it so much because it really doesn’t taste nice at all!

Day Twenty Three (Monday 10th October 2022)

I was meant to see my girlfriend today but she woke up late and was super sleepy so we agreed we would see each other in a day or so instead. So I settled onto the living room floor, planning on spending the day relaxing while finishing my painting.

But no, that is indeed not what the universe had planned for me! Because at 9:56am exactly the airbnb host called me, and I didn’t answer. But I realised in that very moment that she could call over at any point as she has done this before and turned up unexpectedly 6 minutes later, and I panicked as her precious TV was still in my bedroom, all the tables were in the wrong rooms and if she knew this, she would not be happy!

As a result, what usually takes an hour took me… wait for it…. four minutes. Yep, FOUR. The absolute fear I feel for this woman must have given me both super human speed and super human strength, as I lifted up, and ran through the house with, solid oat wood tables like it was a feather!

When doing this the other day, it took me an hour, but by the time the hour hit, at 10am, the house was in perfect order. I then text my girlfriend, who found it hilarious. The host text me, saying there would be another surprise house opening in two hours, at 12pm. I guess I didn’t need to activate my super human abilities after all, but I am not okay with the fact that there is another last minute house opening.

The host thought that I would be happy is she took me to an Asian restaurant, and I, your stereotypical autistic bean, had never been so an asian restaurant in my life. What do you mean you don’t sell chicken nuggets and chips?! I was not impressed but the slimy food and confusing menus and wooden bowls were nothing compared to what words came out the hosts mouth!

I was, as I do of everything second of everyday, talking to whoever I could about how fan-dabby-dosey my girlfriend was, and up until this point, the host, for some reason thought I meant a girl friend, as in… a friend…. who is female. Now, me and my princess may have not put a label on anything yet, but I can guarantee you now honey, we are most defiantly NOT just friends.

“Oh…” she worryingly exhaled. “I’m not like… that… I’m… normal” she stated.

As if she ACTUALLY just said that. My phone was out of my pocket, my polite table manners when dining with a manipulating stranger were out of the window and I was texting both my mother and my girlfriend about the homophobia that I had just received!

Trust me I hardly breathed a word to her after that, thus, this was the last time I would ever see her properly face-to-face. After the homophobic meal, she dragged me shopping with her, where I was in a place I didn’t know, and unable to go home due to the open house, I was so anxious. I did not sign up for this, I did not pay thousands for this. Yet here I am, on a date shopping trip with a homophobe. eventually I was ALLOWED to go home, where I had to rest for a while after what I had just experienced, but this evening I finished my wooden beads. They look so cute.

Day Twenty Four (Tuesday 11th October 2022)

This morning I woke up at about 7:30 am, I dosed for half an hour or so until about 8:00am when I messaged my girlfriend saying good morning, there is only a few days left when we will both share the same morning and I want to cherish every last one of them.

Today was the last day I have alone, so the last day where I can put on my headphones and walk around the shops feeling like I’m just any other Australian. It was a good day, but with an ever-growing sadness in the air and in my mind. no matter what I did, I depressingly sighed. My last bus ride, my last McDonald’s trip, my last mooch around Kmart, where I always aimless strolled around, and today was no exception.

I left Perth empty handed. there was nothing I needed to buy, nothing I wanted other than to put my girlfriend (and a koala) in my suitcase and take them home with me. Speaking of my girlfriend, she had a meeting at work today she we didn’t get to talk much, which is sad, I miss her so much already, I think its because I know I will be so far from her in for a few days and its already breaking my heart.

I got back home where I was planning on spending the rest of the day, but I got bored so went in the bus into Morley, I needed to spend some of the money on my currency card as I was unable to efficiently turn it back into British currency. So I bought some colouring books, some washcloths for my bathroom back home, and some Christmas cards for my neighbours.

After that I spent the night packing, I was finding it hard to fit everything in my suitcase, as I didn’t realise I had bought so much stuff… I am still a minimalist, I swear! I still need to pack my fire TV stick but I won’t do that until tomorrow night as I have a feeling a certain someone will want her daily rendition of Castle tomorrow. Wow, I love her.

I have a bad headache right now but it’s probably from stress from thinking about how much I don’t want to leave! She’s actually thinking that it will take me seven years to come back! Gosh no! I dont know what life will have in store and you can never take a single day for granted. Even though I know I will be back here and soon, I have spent every single day this month with the knowledge that it could very well be the last time I’ll ever be here.

Day Twenty Five (Wednesday 12th October 2022)

Woah, I didn’t know a day could be so wonderful yet so sad at the same time. I woke up at… does it even matter anymore? I did have dinosaur nuggets for breakfast though, which seems odd, but, I had to use them up. and I was ready to spend the last proper day with my girlfriend. We were sat on the sofa watching Castle, and when I looked over at her, she was fast asleep.

She looked so peaceful, she must have been so exhausted. As I sat opposite her, I just watched her, not in the creepy way, but in a way where I was hoping I could stay in this very moment forever. My entire world was right there, curled up with a blanket, in the safety and comfort of my presence. That, my friends, is more than anything I could have ever asked for.

Once she woke up, I gave her all the cuddles in the world.

“… What are we?” she asks.

“We’re good friends, you and I!” I joked, knowing that we both wanted more then that.

She asked me what I had been up to while she was asleep, and I told her I was working on a poem that she isn’t allowed read until I am back in England.

“Give me a clue!” she huffs.

“Okay, well the title is five words long” I say.

“Oh dear!” She grumpily stated while counting on her fingers.

“It’s ‘I’m Breaking Up With You’, isn’t it?!”

I instantly smiled like an idiot at that. “No silly” I answered.

She didn’t know why I was smiling, but in that very statement, she had unknowingly answered her own question from just a moment ago. To break up, two people must first be… dating.

Shortly after that it was time to leave, it was 7:01pm, one minute passed my curfew… Yes, a CURFEW! But that is in the past now, all that mattered in this moment was us, me and her. I walked her out where she stood on the doorstep and kissed me goodbye like every other time.

But then she asked it again. “Alex, what are we?”

I just smiled with tears in my eyes and held her and kissed her on that doorstep like there was no tomorrow, like the sun would never rise again, like the skies would never rain again, like I would never see her again…

She, like every other time, stood at the doorstep, refusing to move a muscle until I said “I love you” (which is the cutest thing ever by the way!) I smiled once again…

“I am so in love with you, my beautiful… girlfriend.”

And she… smiled back.

She’s my girlfriend…

She’s mine… I got her back. That’s all I could ever want. To be able to call her mine again. I fought so hard for her and trust me when I say I dont regret a second of it.

I have promised her I will come back to Australia in February, so we can spend out birthdays together in March. So I have spent most of the evening licking at flights… yes, already.

Woah, she’s mine.

I will never ever get over it, in good way though! All I have ever wanted was one day with her and I’ve had so much more, and I’ll forever be so eternally grateful. It’s been good. It’s been so, so good.

And I have enjoyed every single day. the good, the bad, and the scary. It has definitely changed who I am.

She has given me the most beautiful experience, and she is the most beautiful person. And I am the luckiest person on earth.

Day Twenty Six (Thursday 13th October 2022)

She’s my girlfriend. My actual girlfriend and I will never get tired of saying that. I am home now and the last day was heartbreaking. I really do get emotional when I even so much as think of it, or think of her.

On our last day, she got to mine for 9:30am and we sat in mine for half an hour, neither of us liked the sight of my suitcases in the hallway. After that we went to Kmart together to look for a ‘sprinkle candle’ that she is after. But, they didn’t have it so she got annoyed. We then travelled to a town that I cannot remember the name of 20 minutes away as it said online they had some in stock but upon driving all the way there… They didn’t.

As we were sat in the underground carpark I realised something…

“Um… don’t be mad… but I kind of left the movie ticket from our first date… under the fruit bowl…” I mumbled.

She wasn’t that angry! And we drove back to get it, which the host was not happy about at all! I did try to text and call her first, both which she ignored. I was not leaving Australia with out it.

Then we decided to go on our last date of the trip, to the cinema to watch smile. I kept BOTH movie tickets safely in my phone case. I will guard them with my life. One filled with the memories of so much anticipation, excitement and joy from our first day together, and the other, filled with sadness, and a slight bit of heartache for our last.

After the movie we were hungry. Now, I thought I knew her. So when she turned to me and told me that she wanted McDonalds, I almost died in that passenger seat. I guess there is so much I didn’t know about her, but, I will learn, I swear, I have my whole life- WE have our whole lives.

We sat in the carpark with chicken nuggets… at least SHE knows what I like… PFFT! Asian food? NAH. Nuggies? HELL YEAH! We sat and talked and laughed and people-watched for over an hour. But the sun was setting and I was adamant I wanted to watch it with her.

We drove to IKEA, which, is the only IKEA int he whole of Western Australia. We were only there to watch the sunset though, which is exactly what we did.

My phone was dying so my girlfriend let me chagrin in her car, which, to note, has AirPlay. I plugged in my phone and all of a sudden, my music came on, through all the speakers in the car.

It was all smiles and sunshines, until that one song came on… ‘Hold My Girl‘ by George Ezra. It took me back to every sad and fearful night I had alone that year, every time I was scared to conquer something I was always too afraid of, and in the back of my mind I would tell myself I was doing it for her, which I was. So I could, as cheesy as it sounds, hold my girl. The amount of nights I had tearfully sang along to every word of this song, never thinking for a moment I would be here.

I fell into her arms once again, we cuddled and cried but she tried so hard to fight back the tears. She may not have known why this song made me emotional, or why it meant so much to me, but she knew to hold me in that moment.

“What will I do now?! When I’m not at work?!” she sniffled. Oh gosh how the sound of her voice breaking from the hurt, pained me immensely. I am going to do anything and everything I can to get back to her- that is a promise. It was a very sombre drive to the airport after that, I remember every second of it like a scar to my mind. Where we parked up in the airports carpark and cried again.

We walked very slowly into the airport where I checked in my bags and we then sat on a bench and spoke about just… useless stuff… but I held on to every single word she said like it would be the last word I would ever hear her say.

Then the time came for us to walk to the departures, we stood at the bottom of the departures escalator and cried and cried. I now know what it feels like to truly love and miss someone with every fibre of your being. I had to tell her to walk away first otherwise I know I would have never been strong enough to let go of her arms. I wouldn’t of been strong enough to break that last eye contact.

As I was going up the escalator, all I heard was a little voice from below me…”Alex! Come back!” Three words which broke my heart into a trillion pieces. By far, that was the most painful thing I have EVER had to do in my whole life.

I told her I would be back in a few months.

“Do you promise?!” she cried. Oh darling. I pinky promise. I would do anything for her, for us. It’s all Ive ever wanted, she’s all I’ve ever wanted, literally. I had a very sad and very long slight home and I am not at all happy to be back. I plan to take my Switch and laptop next time I go, the Switch will make that hellish plane journey so much more bearable. Plus, I want all my stuff there- I want to feel like I live there, not just passing though.

I’ll be so much more prepared next time. I cannot wait to see her again. It really was such a life changing trip, and I swear to work hard everyday to be back there, with her in my arms. I love her so much.

Life will never be the same now and… I’m so glad of that.

Thank you, darling, and thank you, Perth. I’ll see you both very soon.

– Alex

x x x