Over the last four years I’ve been blessed to meet and know a group of women the likes of which I’ve never seen. How amazing, then, that we are all friends.
There are always activities being planned. Weekends away, camping trips, bike + brewery tours, surprise birthdays, non-surprise birthdays, cheap dinners, nights out dancing, and more recently- a baby shower.
These are just a few* of the incredible women in my life, the ones who make Brisbane feel like home.
Micky: The mischievous one, the impish rogue.The MacGyver of the group. Can cook a frittata on an open fire, makes homemade dukkah and canned chutney, builds furniture without corners. The friend you ask for legal/insurance/superannuation/mechanical advice. Knows loopholes in policies like the back of her hand. Will challenge you, will call you on your assumptions, will support and love you regardless of your decisions. Will almost always be up for a night of wine and dancing, even when living a 35 minute Uber ride from the city. Saucy, sassy, seriously impressive mind.
Micky is the first real friend I made here. She can make a tent out of a bandana and turn sadness into glee. She is definitely the person you want with you if ever stranded on a desert island, which is an appropriate metaphor for our friendship.
Loves: Podcasts, good coffee, strong communities
Dislikes: The smell of drama, bras, inequality
Em: Ohh, where to begin with this one. The friend you call in a crisis, the one who is there at 2am, the one who brings you ice cream and plays Hang Man when you’re in the hospital. The one who will shoulder your cross with you, every step of the way. Always up for anything with the right people, it doesn’t take much to convince her to go surfing/attend a music festival/trek Tasmania.
Adventure bunny, deep soul. Frequently found on a motorbike or with her cocker spaniel. The spirit of this pint-sized pocket rocket runs deep, as does my love for her. Our most notable difference to date has been on the subject of Beyonce, which is one I can live with.
Loves: Lily the cocker spaniel, Doritos, her Kathmandu tent
Dislikes: Trash, plastic, Beyonce
Flick: Felicity is undoubtedly the sophisticated one of us. She is the friend who helps you blend your foundation, picks clothes for you off the rack, knows what skincare works and why. Still, this little mama is no princess and will be there for camping trips and beach days. Flick is a boss lady, a go getter and a pretty face not to be underestimated.
Flick recently became an actual boss mama, bringing little Flynn into the world, a perfect new little human. The competition for favourite auntie is already on.
Loves: Baby Flynn, patterns in clothes, Japanese architecture, the gorgeous leather bag she found in that thrift job
Dislikes: How her feet look in sandals
Bec: The Swedish artist, the violinist and singer and dancer and cultural artisan. A vegetarian and humanitarian, Bec is discriminating only when it comes to coffee and wine. (She trusts my beer recommendations implicitly). Kind and unassuming to a fault, she charms everyone she meets. Bec and I travelled to Vietnam in 2015, and the dynamic quickly became one of good cop: bad cop. I was the hardass, the brash negotiator. Bec was the charmer, the one who asked if she could please have a discount and charmed her way into the hearts of everyone she met.
The woman is the definition of cultured beauty, and to know her is to love her. Bec’s daughter, Sophia, also happens to be my favourite nine-year-old.
Likes: Red wine, live music, reading actual books, staying up late
Dislikes: Instant coffee, hot weather
This is just the surface, but these women have done more for me than I can say, and I would not still live in Australia if it weren’t for each of them. They say that your vibe attracts your tribe, and our little tribe of friends only seems to swell with a range of diverse souls and varied experiences. I am so grateful to know them all.
* There are too many vibrant personalities and memories for one post. Round II of Favourite Brisbane Women coming soon.
Life Upside Down 
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