FRIDAY FAREWELL BRUNCHING | THE CUPPING ROOM

When you decide to go on a year abroad, you weigh up the pros and cons of your new destination, what it will bring to your life and future career prospects, the new friends you'll make and places you'll visit - but you underestimate how hard it will be to leave those new friends and places behind. As it draws closer to the 2 week mark before I leave Canberra, its suddenly starting to sink in how I will be leaving behind this new city which I have started to call home since July and the friendly faces I've met along the way.

Obviously I've had to say farewell to people before this, friends who were only on a semester abroad as opposed to a full year (Katie and Hannah I'm looking at you!), and friends I met travelling the East Coast in January. Some of these people, we were only together for a few days on a tour but it felt like a lifetime, especially on the Whitsundays Islands boat where we had no mobile phone signal to be anti-social, and the Fraser Island tagalong tour where we spent our days together in 8-seater 4x4 cars being shook all across the sandy tracks.

Today's brunch was a farewell to my friend Alyssa who will be leaving soon to travel New Zealand before she returns to Canada. We didn't even know each other 2 months ago before we by chance ended up going on a road trip up the coast during the Easter break when we saw they needed extra people! 4 days of exploring beaches (and one wild night in Coffs Harbour) and its safe to say we're friends for life (Marcha too, you're not forgotten)! Its humbling that I've had the chance to meet all of these people, and create connections across the world - and also that I was able to step out of my shy comfort zone to branch out and speak to new people!

Besides the deep reflection on my year abroad, here comes a short appreciation for the brunch in which this post would never be in existence without! The Cupping Room is a classic brunch spot in Canberra, often with queues outside the door. The classic millennial choice of Avo Toast is executed perfectly with a twist of smoked labna and Hungarian dukkah. Alyssa went for a classic bacon and egg roll with fries to cure her also classic Thursday Mooseheads hangover which was the perfect antidote! We also both opted for iced coffees due to how warm and sunny it was for wintery Canberra today. We loved how it came in glass bottles to pour yourself, and the syringes of sugar syrup to sweeten to your liking!