It’s three years to the day since I moved back to Tasmania – the island where I was born, and the place where I grew up… until I moved to Sydney at 21 to be a writer.

Those three years ago – on 29 November 2008 – I sat with my husband-to-be (on our third date), at a Crowded House concert. I got upset when they played “Better Be Home Soon”… Not so much because I was so moved to be back in Tasmania, but because I was already mourning my good friends, rewarding career, and my entire twenties – all of which I’d left back in Sydney.

Tasmania and I have a love-hate relationship. I left it for good reason, and I certainly wasn’t the only one. However, I’ve also obviously returned for good reason – as have many others.

I’ve had many different jobs over the past 15 years. I currently work in one that asks me to write, solve problems and have ideas every day – sometimes every hour. It’s called advertising. While I’m grateful for finding something creative in Tasmania, I miss my eclectic career in Sydney – so I continue to document and curate the Tasmanian information that comes my way.

As I’m a writer, it was inevitable that I’d be drawn to writing about Tasmania and my battles with this bloody state – which is why you and I are here now.

My travels around Tasmania are quite revealing. If you, too, live here – or are hoping to live here – you may be interested in the local culture I write about, the experiences I edit, and how I (usually) overcome the tyranny of distance as a writer!