I hadn’t slept much the past week, as my subconscious was making me aware of all that I had to do and of the big change I was going through and thus keeping me from my precious sleep. I also knew that the next week wouldn’t offer me the chance to catch up on those lost hours of what I could only hope, should be 40 winks.
So I was knackered leaving Swan Hill. Even still, I felt like I had to either stress out about not having a clue what I was doing. I figured that might make me see things clearly or it might force me to find out where I wanted to be. But, that’s just silly business and it was a little bit much at that moment. I had to take one step at a time. So, what was happening? I had just left someone who had formed the center and focus of my life for the past 6 months. But I was feeling fine, tired but fine. But it was almost like I was trying to grieve and feel sad, but I wasn’t. I felt bad for him of course. But realized I had already grieved for the closure of this chapter when I was in Asia (this I’m only realizing now by the way, as I’m looking back). So I was trying to feel sad, just to prove that I wasn’t heartless. To who was I trying to prove this? To whoever was around, which were just some random school kids heading down south and some country folk hopping on and off the train as they went about their business. What do they care? So was I trying to prove it to myself maybe? Probably. Either way, this was so silly. So I told myself to “cop on” and get real! I didn’t have to prove anything to myself or to these strangers on the train! Instead of wasting time and energy trying to feel sad or trying to stress-out, I sat and I wrote lots of stuff whilst gearing myself up for the next step: Melbourne!
A 4 hour train journey and I was at Southern Cross station. With so much baggage, it wasn’t even funny.. And the weight of it!! When I was in Thailand, I left a lot of my stuff in the van, so I didn’t need to burden my back with unnecessary clothes and books. But I now had to bring all my belongings, all that was important to me in the world, with me wherever I was heading, which is only normal I guess. But it took a little bit of getting used to. Anyway, at the station I went to my favorite spot: The food court where I sat next to the Sushi counter. This is where I sat before going to Confest too, as I waited for the train to take me to Swan Hill, 10 days previous. Now I found myself back there, but my spirit was a whole lot lighter and my backpack a whole lot heavier!!
I sat and ate sushi and drank green tea for hours. And I was having the best time ever. Making phone calls enquiring about some stuff, ringing some treasures and being so excited by the unknown. I was in a state of being in transition. The state I love so much: Neither here nor there, not settling into a hostel for the night, but just waiting for an epiphany, or an sign or a feeling telling me where I should go. I sat there for hours, then made my way to Starbucks. Here I had wireless internet, so 4 whole hours later, I was still there and still in transit. I was “sorting out my life” with a few clicks on internet. Well, actually that’s what I wanted to happen, but instead I got totally swamped by all the opportunities and places (both in and outside of Australia) I was seeing on the net and all the different flights, prices and journeys I could be doing. By the time they were closing and had gotten kicked-out (with a belly full of tea and a head full of questions), it was 7 pm and I still had no clue where I was going that night or what I wanted to do. It really was exciting.
The epiphany I was waiting for never came, nor did the sign (I probably missed it, as my head was stuck in this cyberspace, getting lost. So I asked myself: What did I really want at that stage of the journey? Well, I knew what I didn’t want, which was to have to go traipsing through Melbourne in search of a hostel. I wasn’t in the mood. I was exhausted. I knew I wanted to stay in transit. I loved the feeling of not having to put my bag down for the night and settle in some where. I wanted to remain on the road. So, it was 7.15pm by this stage, and I knew there were overnight bus services heading to Sydney.. Humm, Interesting I thought.. It wouldn’t cost me too much, I wouldn’t have to venture out into Melbourne (it was too chilly down there by the way!). I knew the bus was leaving at 8pm. I had no ticket though, and usually you have to reserve a seat beforehand. Thankfully, me being both the nuisance and the lucky person I am, after some phone calls to the head office of the bus company and some minor alterations in the seating, the bus driver got me a ticket! 20 minutes after I decided to get my ass into gear and try make my way to the south east coast of Oz, I’d made it happen!! How happy was I! I had a pretty good night sleep too, considering I was on the bus. Melbourne, is now a thing of the past, it was yesterday..
Showing posts with label Swan Hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swan Hill. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
My perspective
To follow up on the last post.. This goes more deeply.. Maybe explains things a little too much. Feel free to skip..
Speaking from the outsider who’s looking in: Isn’t it so easy to stay in a situation and ignore what you know in your heart to be true, just for fear of what the majority of people, or one person in particular, might think of you? Their opinion could change as you take certain actions, all because they are in disagreement. So the routine continues and sometimes that long, drawn out, expressionless face is staring back at you, on too much of a regular basis, as you look in the mirror. But you don‘t know why. You ask yourself: is it work? Is it lack of space? Is it lack of energy? You have no clue, so you carry on. And the reason why you don’t have a clue, is because you don’t take the time to sit and ask yourself these questions. Why don’t you ask? For fear of what you’ll see as, deep down, you already know the answer. It’s there, but once openly recognized, it can’t be denied any longer. And also, when you’re in a certain environment, you can easily forget what you have, what you own within and the happiness it gives you when you are in touch with that. It’s never until you place yourself outside of the situation that you realize why the face was so expressionless and why you felt so drained and why you would cry for no reason. However there was also a sense of calm, when you would cry. Never a sense of anger, despair or resentment towards anybody in your surroundings. It was towards yourself and for ignoring what you knew to be true, just so you wouldn’t hurt anybody else and just so you would do what others felt happiest with. It’s only now you can say that these are your reasons for crying, your reasons for feeling drained, your reasons for not smiling from within. The tears would happen without anything happening around you. It was almost like they would come out of nowhere, there was no explanation. Were you going mad? There was nothing “wrong” in your surroundings and nothing really occurred, so this made you realize, once you had stepped away from the situation (and headed to Asia and started to rediscover yourself), that it was you and it really wasn’t him. As the cliché goes in all movies or tv series: “It’s not you, it’s me”, it really did apply to you deciding to go it alone again.
Now, speaking from me to you once again: Yes, deciding to go to Asia, showed me all I knew. It gave me the answers I was looking for, OR it made me ask myself the right questions to which I already knew the answers. This is when I realized things between the2 of us were going to change, they would never be the same. Not after the people I had crossed paths with and all that I had learnt by opening my eyes to what it is in life I wanted next. I didn’t even WANT things to be the same again. Ideas and longings were starting to bubble up inside of me, I couldn’t switch them off any longer. And if I had chosen to go back to the same living circumstances as before I went to Asia, then those bubbles inside of me would have burst. I didn’t want them to. They made me feel so alive!
In my writing, it may have become clear or apparent that I hardly gave Jason a mention, as I typed so eagerly about how beautiful and wonderful my trip in Asia was and also about the amazement I felt at Confest. This is not out of disrespect towards him, but it was instead me writing about how things were happening and expressing how overwhelmed I was with the brilliance of every situation I came across, of every person I spoke with and of every event that came my way. And during all of this, he simply wasn’t there. That’s why he wasn’t mentioned. It wasn’t due to me not thinking of him, or of me being heartless and leaving him behind as I ventured out and threw myself into different experiences. I was writing simply how things were between us. And when I say “between us”, I can mean to say that there was indeed a “between” in between the 2 of us. A distance between and a view towards life from different levels. That’s all.
This distance; it happens so often and it can be sad. But, no, actually I’m not going to call it sad or shameful. And this is not me trying to justify things or trying to paint a beautiful picture in the hope of me being the most “outstanding” of the image I’m sketching, really it’s not. I’m only saying how I see it now and felt it then. The way things have planned out and the way in which we got to live together, I’m going to call: an amazing adventure, a lesson I’ll cherish forever, an experience I’m blessed to have had and a reminder to ALWAYS be and act how I feel on the inside. I’ll not be sad but I’ll be happy that we were apart of each others lives. I’ll not be angry at how the other deals with the situation, but I’ll understand and learn from this. I’ll be forever grateful for all the opportunities that he presented me with. On the other hand I’ll never feel guilty for how much was offered and how little I, in the end, chose to take. I’ll never feel like I’ve done wrong by following my heart and I’ll be aware that, whatever happens down the line with our friendship, I did everything I could to hold our bond close to my heart. No matter what others may say.
So, at the train station in Swan Hill, on the 6th of Jan, I left. I couldn’t look back, I just walked away. Not heartbroken but aware of the step I was taking. I couldn’t tell him where I was going, or what I would be doing. I didn’t know myself at that point either. We would remain in touch, that’s all I could say. From a distance however..
This was the start of a few crazy days.. more to come xx
Speaking from the outsider who’s looking in: Isn’t it so easy to stay in a situation and ignore what you know in your heart to be true, just for fear of what the majority of people, or one person in particular, might think of you? Their opinion could change as you take certain actions, all because they are in disagreement. So the routine continues and sometimes that long, drawn out, expressionless face is staring back at you, on too much of a regular basis, as you look in the mirror. But you don‘t know why. You ask yourself: is it work? Is it lack of space? Is it lack of energy? You have no clue, so you carry on. And the reason why you don’t have a clue, is because you don’t take the time to sit and ask yourself these questions. Why don’t you ask? For fear of what you’ll see as, deep down, you already know the answer. It’s there, but once openly recognized, it can’t be denied any longer. And also, when you’re in a certain environment, you can easily forget what you have, what you own within and the happiness it gives you when you are in touch with that. It’s never until you place yourself outside of the situation that you realize why the face was so expressionless and why you felt so drained and why you would cry for no reason. However there was also a sense of calm, when you would cry. Never a sense of anger, despair or resentment towards anybody in your surroundings. It was towards yourself and for ignoring what you knew to be true, just so you wouldn’t hurt anybody else and just so you would do what others felt happiest with. It’s only now you can say that these are your reasons for crying, your reasons for feeling drained, your reasons for not smiling from within. The tears would happen without anything happening around you. It was almost like they would come out of nowhere, there was no explanation. Were you going mad? There was nothing “wrong” in your surroundings and nothing really occurred, so this made you realize, once you had stepped away from the situation (and headed to Asia and started to rediscover yourself), that it was you and it really wasn’t him. As the cliché goes in all movies or tv series: “It’s not you, it’s me”, it really did apply to you deciding to go it alone again.
Now, speaking from me to you once again: Yes, deciding to go to Asia, showed me all I knew. It gave me the answers I was looking for, OR it made me ask myself the right questions to which I already knew the answers. This is when I realized things between the2 of us were going to change, they would never be the same. Not after the people I had crossed paths with and all that I had learnt by opening my eyes to what it is in life I wanted next. I didn’t even WANT things to be the same again. Ideas and longings were starting to bubble up inside of me, I couldn’t switch them off any longer. And if I had chosen to go back to the same living circumstances as before I went to Asia, then those bubbles inside of me would have burst. I didn’t want them to. They made me feel so alive!
In my writing, it may have become clear or apparent that I hardly gave Jason a mention, as I typed so eagerly about how beautiful and wonderful my trip in Asia was and also about the amazement I felt at Confest. This is not out of disrespect towards him, but it was instead me writing about how things were happening and expressing how overwhelmed I was with the brilliance of every situation I came across, of every person I spoke with and of every event that came my way. And during all of this, he simply wasn’t there. That’s why he wasn’t mentioned. It wasn’t due to me not thinking of him, or of me being heartless and leaving him behind as I ventured out and threw myself into different experiences. I was writing simply how things were between us. And when I say “between us”, I can mean to say that there was indeed a “between” in between the 2 of us. A distance between and a view towards life from different levels. That’s all.
This distance; it happens so often and it can be sad. But, no, actually I’m not going to call it sad or shameful. And this is not me trying to justify things or trying to paint a beautiful picture in the hope of me being the most “outstanding” of the image I’m sketching, really it’s not. I’m only saying how I see it now and felt it then. The way things have planned out and the way in which we got to live together, I’m going to call: an amazing adventure, a lesson I’ll cherish forever, an experience I’m blessed to have had and a reminder to ALWAYS be and act how I feel on the inside. I’ll not be sad but I’ll be happy that we were apart of each others lives. I’ll not be angry at how the other deals with the situation, but I’ll understand and learn from this. I’ll be forever grateful for all the opportunities that he presented me with. On the other hand I’ll never feel guilty for how much was offered and how little I, in the end, chose to take. I’ll never feel like I’ve done wrong by following my heart and I’ll be aware that, whatever happens down the line with our friendship, I did everything I could to hold our bond close to my heart. No matter what others may say.
So, at the train station in Swan Hill, on the 6th of Jan, I left. I couldn’t look back, I just walked away. Not heartbroken but aware of the step I was taking. I couldn’t tell him where I was going, or what I would be doing. I didn’t know myself at that point either. We would remain in touch, that’s all I could say. From a distance however..
This was the start of a few crazy days.. more to come xx
Monday, January 11, 2010
A belated 27th and 28th of December..
Two whole weeks and not a peep from me. Such a silence that feels has lasted for way too long. It was a silence I hadn’t planned, I silence I didn’t intend on creating. But somehow the events that occurred and the speed at which each one came about, forced me to be silent..
My last reflection was in Kuala Lumpur.. As I waited to get the bus to the airport. The plane awaited me that evening and was transporting me across many many miles, through a few different time zones, to be in a country I had grown to love but somehow didn’t feel so comfortable returning to.
My month in Malaysia and Thailand had brought about so many different emotions, revelations and adventures into being. My eyes had been opened in ways they had never witnessed either myself, the world and the people in it, before. What am I referring to? Well, for example: The way a person can place themselves in a certain world and the way that certain world can take on that particular person. Everything that has over the years has led me to see the traveling-life so differently. I always knew how amazing it was. But now, I’ve come to realize it even more so, due to the easiness and confidence I felt in being grounded - even when that particular part of the ground I found myself on, wasn’t “my own”. To be “one” with the world and with the souls in it, really does mean that anywhere can feel like home, because there really is no difference. Being one, is being the same. I’d felt this is other countries but never in countries where I’d be in the minority, where I would stick out in the crowd because of my hair and skin color. This time in Asia, I still stuck out in the crowd, but I didn’t feel it - I felt to be the same. I’d heard this expression before and thought it to be a cool way of seeing the world. But it’s not like a switch you can turn on, when trying to get to that mind-set. Something has to have changed within the minds eye to truly not feel or see yourself as being different in a culture so unique. Throughout the past year and a half, something did change in my minds eye and being in Asia I really was able to feel it. It was like I was putting into practice all that I had learnt and discovered within myself. It was truly an amazing feeling and I never realized when I was learning so much over the past year and a half that even my travel experiences would benefit from this adjustment. I’m ever ever so grateful.
So flying back to Melbourne on the evening of the 27th of December, to arrive on the morning of the 28th, was somehow different than I expected it to be. I expected to want to go back, I expected to be happy to set foot on Ozzie soil once again, I expected I’d be excited to be around western people again. Instead, every step of the journey, was one I didn’t want to take. I didn’t dwell on this fact however, as I knew I had to return to Oz - even if it were just for me to figure out that it was time to move on - and I was basically shocked by how I was feeling once I got to the airport in Melbourne. I was feeling how I should have felt when I stepped off the plane in Malaysia. I was feeling like an outsider. I was feeling dumbstruck at the sight and sound of all these Westerners - I know this might sound so silly - and because of the fact that this sounds so silly it’s also why I was shocked by the voice in my head that wasn’t liking the fact that I was blending in with the Westerners and speaking the same English language!! What a strange world.. Or maybe: what a strange way for me to suddenly feel and look at the world. The Australian world..
This feeling didn’t last too long. It didn’t scare me away. Nothing drastic came of it. It was simply whacky to witness it. From the airport in Melbourne, the city centre was the next port of call. Throughout the journey I was adjusting again to the normal buses, the normal speed at which they traveled and the normal road behaviour. Then at the station: the higher prices of food, tea, Internet, train tickets. Wouw! What a difference.. But within an hour all was good. Even though I still longed to be in Asia.
I sat in the food court at the station, as I had the whole day to wait for the bus that was going to be taking me to Jason. This food court sent me into a zone of some sort. At that stage, I had been traveling nearly 48 hours, without having seen a bed, so I was a little delirious too. I was in a zone and often I had to remind myself of what city I was in, or even what country.. And every time..O yeah.. Australia.. Okay..it’s okay Niamh.. This is good.
But really it wasn’t too good. I felt so lost, and sat there for 3 hours solid, writing my heart out and dealing with the situation at hand. Which was: What was I doing for the next week and for new years? Yes, I had booked my ticket to Swan Hill to go to see Jason. But things had changed, I felt they would be different and so we both kept an open mind when it came to us being back together again. It was an afternoon of feeling lost, wrecked but also one of feeling so easy and peaceful.. It was me just sitting and writing and I loved every minute of it. I didn’t want it to end. I was in the zone, my own zone, where I wanted to be. Maybe I didn’t want to deal with the real world as I felt so secure by myself. Maybe I didn’t want to loose the high I was feeling after an amazing month. Maybe I wanted to savor that feeling and share it only with those who wanted to share in my joy and not with those who might resent me for having had that amazing opportunity..(that I created by myself by the way.. so why should I feel guilty? A person makes their own experiences, lives their own life and everyone can make happen anything they really long for). Who was to know why I didn’t want that afternoon to end. It could also have simply been because I was in the food court right beside the sushi, that was coming out of my ears accompanied by green tea.. Hummm..
So I got to Swan Hill at 10pm. Jason was waiting at the station for me. The sight of the van.. White Myvan.. The adventure van.. The van that had been my home, with Jason inside, who had missed me. And there was Niamh: loaded up with a new “tan“, slightly longer hair, new stories to tell and some new inspiration and drive to go for the things she’s been longing to get from life. What a change.. And because of this, we needed to spend proper time together. We needed to reconnect and find common ground once again. A month isn’t a real long time to be apart, but when so much happens and a person starts feeling things that were there all along but had chosen to ignore them for so long, then a month can bring a lifetimes worth of changes with it. In some ways that’s what happened to me. So Jason and I decided at the very last minute to go to a festival near Swan Hill, in Moulemein, called Confest. It would be the perfect environment for us to spend time together, to learn and to grow.
This was on the morning of the 29th. Such a rash decision. And such a dramatic change. Going from Kho Phangang on the 26th, down through Malaysia, onto the plane in Kuala Lumpur, getting off in Melbourne, then hanging out there for a full day, then on to Swan Hill, straight into sorting out the ground on which Jason and I was were trying to walk upon together, and to end up at the hippy Confest, out in the Ozzie bush. All this within 3 days, without any sleep.
How does it all evolve, and does this festival bring out things that I haven’t yet discovered about myself..?? Catch up later for some more..
My last reflection was in Kuala Lumpur.. As I waited to get the bus to the airport. The plane awaited me that evening and was transporting me across many many miles, through a few different time zones, to be in a country I had grown to love but somehow didn’t feel so comfortable returning to.
My month in Malaysia and Thailand had brought about so many different emotions, revelations and adventures into being. My eyes had been opened in ways they had never witnessed either myself, the world and the people in it, before. What am I referring to? Well, for example: The way a person can place themselves in a certain world and the way that certain world can take on that particular person. Everything that has over the years has led me to see the traveling-life so differently. I always knew how amazing it was. But now, I’ve come to realize it even more so, due to the easiness and confidence I felt in being grounded - even when that particular part of the ground I found myself on, wasn’t “my own”. To be “one” with the world and with the souls in it, really does mean that anywhere can feel like home, because there really is no difference. Being one, is being the same. I’d felt this is other countries but never in countries where I’d be in the minority, where I would stick out in the crowd because of my hair and skin color. This time in Asia, I still stuck out in the crowd, but I didn’t feel it - I felt to be the same. I’d heard this expression before and thought it to be a cool way of seeing the world. But it’s not like a switch you can turn on, when trying to get to that mind-set. Something has to have changed within the minds eye to truly not feel or see yourself as being different in a culture so unique. Throughout the past year and a half, something did change in my minds eye and being in Asia I really was able to feel it. It was like I was putting into practice all that I had learnt and discovered within myself. It was truly an amazing feeling and I never realized when I was learning so much over the past year and a half that even my travel experiences would benefit from this adjustment. I’m ever ever so grateful.
So flying back to Melbourne on the evening of the 27th of December, to arrive on the morning of the 28th, was somehow different than I expected it to be. I expected to want to go back, I expected to be happy to set foot on Ozzie soil once again, I expected I’d be excited to be around western people again. Instead, every step of the journey, was one I didn’t want to take. I didn’t dwell on this fact however, as I knew I had to return to Oz - even if it were just for me to figure out that it was time to move on - and I was basically shocked by how I was feeling once I got to the airport in Melbourne. I was feeling how I should have felt when I stepped off the plane in Malaysia. I was feeling like an outsider. I was feeling dumbstruck at the sight and sound of all these Westerners - I know this might sound so silly - and because of the fact that this sounds so silly it’s also why I was shocked by the voice in my head that wasn’t liking the fact that I was blending in with the Westerners and speaking the same English language!! What a strange world.. Or maybe: what a strange way for me to suddenly feel and look at the world. The Australian world..
This feeling didn’t last too long. It didn’t scare me away. Nothing drastic came of it. It was simply whacky to witness it. From the airport in Melbourne, the city centre was the next port of call. Throughout the journey I was adjusting again to the normal buses, the normal speed at which they traveled and the normal road behaviour. Then at the station: the higher prices of food, tea, Internet, train tickets. Wouw! What a difference.. But within an hour all was good. Even though I still longed to be in Asia.
I sat in the food court at the station, as I had the whole day to wait for the bus that was going to be taking me to Jason. This food court sent me into a zone of some sort. At that stage, I had been traveling nearly 48 hours, without having seen a bed, so I was a little delirious too. I was in a zone and often I had to remind myself of what city I was in, or even what country.. And every time..O yeah.. Australia.. Okay..it’s okay Niamh.. This is good.
But really it wasn’t too good. I felt so lost, and sat there for 3 hours solid, writing my heart out and dealing with the situation at hand. Which was: What was I doing for the next week and for new years? Yes, I had booked my ticket to Swan Hill to go to see Jason. But things had changed, I felt they would be different and so we both kept an open mind when it came to us being back together again. It was an afternoon of feeling lost, wrecked but also one of feeling so easy and peaceful.. It was me just sitting and writing and I loved every minute of it. I didn’t want it to end. I was in the zone, my own zone, where I wanted to be. Maybe I didn’t want to deal with the real world as I felt so secure by myself. Maybe I didn’t want to loose the high I was feeling after an amazing month. Maybe I wanted to savor that feeling and share it only with those who wanted to share in my joy and not with those who might resent me for having had that amazing opportunity..(that I created by myself by the way.. so why should I feel guilty? A person makes their own experiences, lives their own life and everyone can make happen anything they really long for). Who was to know why I didn’t want that afternoon to end. It could also have simply been because I was in the food court right beside the sushi, that was coming out of my ears accompanied by green tea.. Hummm..
So I got to Swan Hill at 10pm. Jason was waiting at the station for me. The sight of the van.. White Myvan.. The adventure van.. The van that had been my home, with Jason inside, who had missed me. And there was Niamh: loaded up with a new “tan“, slightly longer hair, new stories to tell and some new inspiration and drive to go for the things she’s been longing to get from life. What a change.. And because of this, we needed to spend proper time together. We needed to reconnect and find common ground once again. A month isn’t a real long time to be apart, but when so much happens and a person starts feeling things that were there all along but had chosen to ignore them for so long, then a month can bring a lifetimes worth of changes with it. In some ways that’s what happened to me. So Jason and I decided at the very last minute to go to a festival near Swan Hill, in Moulemein, called Confest. It would be the perfect environment for us to spend time together, to learn and to grow.
This was on the morning of the 29th. Such a rash decision. And such a dramatic change. Going from Kho Phangang on the 26th, down through Malaysia, onto the plane in Kuala Lumpur, getting off in Melbourne, then hanging out there for a full day, then on to Swan Hill, straight into sorting out the ground on which Jason and I was were trying to walk upon together, and to end up at the hippy Confest, out in the Ozzie bush. All this within 3 days, without any sleep.
How does it all evolve, and does this festival bring out things that I haven’t yet discovered about myself..?? Catch up later for some more..
Friday, November 20, 2009
Where to from here..??
It's Friday evening, and the heat is passing.. Today it's raining and it's such a welcome relief. Where am I?? Well, I'm still in Nyah West. We are destined to stay here I reckon, cause we've been trying to leave since Monday afternoon, but with one thing and another, we just haven't managed to pack up the van and head off. First it was work that was stopping us from leaving. Then it was the heat that was stopping us from leaving. Then it was our lazy-mode that was stopping us from leaving. But all going well, and without any interferences, we'll be leaving Nyah West tomorrow. It's definitely time now. We've stretched our stay as far as possible and the more we stretch it, the harder it will be to leave. So we're biting the bullet and we're off to Adelaide.
Between the hot spells of weather we've been having over the past week, I've managed to make a decision. My brain might have been fried by the scorching sun beating down on it through my straw hat, but I still managed to see some opportunities come my way and make some plans and finally take some action!!
When did I start cooking up these plans? Well it was last week. We were still working on the rose farm at this point, and I felt like I wanted to go somewhere and do something alone, by myself, in the big wide world. I've been having itchy feet for a while now, and it's so easy to stay with Jason and the work. But, at the moment, I'm in exploring-mode I think. But I hadn't a clue what to do or where to go. I thought for a while to go to some spots in Oz that I haven't been yet. Then I thought of working with Jason until the new year, to save some extra dollars. But the thoughts of doing either of these, didn't excited me. I felt like I needed a challenge, I needed to do something for myself and by myself, I needed to branch out, even it was to be for only a couple of weeks. I figured I'd worked pretty hard the past months, and financially I was set for a while. But travelling in Oz for a month can be so expensive, too expensive almost, considering there isn't really any other place I'm longing to see in Oz. For the same price I'd be able to travel to Asia somewhere.. Hummm.. This got me thinking.
I hadn't a clue where I wanted to go. So I just started browsing the net last week, searching for a sign of some sort, showing me which country could offer me some adventure - a sign in the form of a cheap flight was actually what I was after.. And I found it. It took me a few days before I actually made the decision to book it and being the indecisive person I am, I could have done with some coaxing from someone here, but I actually wanted to make the decision all by myself. And I did!! last Friday I booked a flight to Malaysia!!! It was "cheap as chips", and the dates worked out so well.. I had a whole "plan" in my head, as soon as I seen the dates and the prices of the flights. I just needed some certainty, regarding work in Adelaide with Jason for the next week.. If everything was to fall into place, I knew these were the flights I had to book. And within a day everything managed to miraculously fall into place.
So what's the plan? Well, we're leaving Nyah West tomorrow, going to Adelaide. We start work on Monday, on a rose farm. I'm staying until the 1st of December. And from Adelaide I fly to Melbourne and on the same day I fly to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I'm staying until the 27th of December, flying back to Melbourne and will be going to a festival near Swan Hill with Jason that lasts until the 4th of Jan, to celebrate the new year. I couldn't quite believe how easily everything came together. It was amazing and I was, and still am, so excited. It will be amazing to travel in Asia again. I've been to Malaysia before, but had a bad experience and wanted to leave the place asap. And that's exactly what I did. I swore never to go back there again. But when this flight popped up on the screen, and the more I thought of visiting this country again, the more I thought it would be amazing to give it a "second chance". Because it is a beautiful country, with beautiful people and an amazing culture. And being in a different culture again will give me that boost again and the confidence I'll be needing once I decide where next to travel to. It's going to be so good for, doing this again. And it's going to be so different than the last time. Traveling in general gives me totally different things, than it did when I was traveling for the first time. So I know it's going to be amazing..
Everything has been taken care of, and I feel so at ease about going over there. There's not a fear or a doubt in my mind.. Just excitement in my heart..
It's the last night at the pub, and we'll be saying goodbye to everyone a little later on. We're sad to be leaving, but so happy to have been here in the first place. At the moment it's getting busier, so we're leaving before the season gets started properly, but it's been so cool. Who knows, we might be back, together. I know Jason will definitely be back at some stage. But what the circumstances will be, we don't know. But as always, time will tell!!
Between the hot spells of weather we've been having over the past week, I've managed to make a decision. My brain might have been fried by the scorching sun beating down on it through my straw hat, but I still managed to see some opportunities come my way and make some plans and finally take some action!!
When did I start cooking up these plans? Well it was last week. We were still working on the rose farm at this point, and I felt like I wanted to go somewhere and do something alone, by myself, in the big wide world. I've been having itchy feet for a while now, and it's so easy to stay with Jason and the work. But, at the moment, I'm in exploring-mode I think. But I hadn't a clue what to do or where to go. I thought for a while to go to some spots in Oz that I haven't been yet. Then I thought of working with Jason until the new year, to save some extra dollars. But the thoughts of doing either of these, didn't excited me. I felt like I needed a challenge, I needed to do something for myself and by myself, I needed to branch out, even it was to be for only a couple of weeks. I figured I'd worked pretty hard the past months, and financially I was set for a while. But travelling in Oz for a month can be so expensive, too expensive almost, considering there isn't really any other place I'm longing to see in Oz. For the same price I'd be able to travel to Asia somewhere.. Hummm.. This got me thinking.
I hadn't a clue where I wanted to go. So I just started browsing the net last week, searching for a sign of some sort, showing me which country could offer me some adventure - a sign in the form of a cheap flight was actually what I was after.. And I found it. It took me a few days before I actually made the decision to book it and being the indecisive person I am, I could have done with some coaxing from someone here, but I actually wanted to make the decision all by myself. And I did!! last Friday I booked a flight to Malaysia!!! It was "cheap as chips", and the dates worked out so well.. I had a whole "plan" in my head, as soon as I seen the dates and the prices of the flights. I just needed some certainty, regarding work in Adelaide with Jason for the next week.. If everything was to fall into place, I knew these were the flights I had to book. And within a day everything managed to miraculously fall into place.
So what's the plan? Well, we're leaving Nyah West tomorrow, going to Adelaide. We start work on Monday, on a rose farm. I'm staying until the 1st of December. And from Adelaide I fly to Melbourne and on the same day I fly to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I'm staying until the 27th of December, flying back to Melbourne and will be going to a festival near Swan Hill with Jason that lasts until the 4th of Jan, to celebrate the new year. I couldn't quite believe how easily everything came together. It was amazing and I was, and still am, so excited. It will be amazing to travel in Asia again. I've been to Malaysia before, but had a bad experience and wanted to leave the place asap. And that's exactly what I did. I swore never to go back there again. But when this flight popped up on the screen, and the more I thought of visiting this country again, the more I thought it would be amazing to give it a "second chance". Because it is a beautiful country, with beautiful people and an amazing culture. And being in a different culture again will give me that boost again and the confidence I'll be needing once I decide where next to travel to. It's going to be so good for, doing this again. And it's going to be so different than the last time. Traveling in general gives me totally different things, than it did when I was traveling for the first time. So I know it's going to be amazing..
Everything has been taken care of, and I feel so at ease about going over there. There's not a fear or a doubt in my mind.. Just excitement in my heart..
It's the last night at the pub, and we'll be saying goodbye to everyone a little later on. We're sad to be leaving, but so happy to have been here in the first place. At the moment it's getting busier, so we're leaving before the season gets started properly, but it's been so cool. Who knows, we might be back, together. I know Jason will definitely be back at some stage. But what the circumstances will be, we don't know. But as always, time will tell!!
Monday, November 16, 2009
HOT HOT HOT
A heatwave that struck. Never before have I experienced such high temperatures. It has been unreal.
Today it's Monday the 16th of November. The heat has "eased", and there's a slight change in the weather - or so the locals have been calling it - but us backpackers or travellers are still feeling the heat because it's 39degrees in the shade. Can you imagine what the temperature has been before today, if 39 can be called "cool"?! Since Tuesday last week, it's been above 43degrees. Some afternoons it's hit 46 and 47 in the field. A scortcher, as the ozzies would call it.
The first day it hit, was Tuesday and it was bad and so sudden. Especially taking into account that it's only Springtime right now, not yet officially the Summer, and 2 weeks ago the afternoon temperature was only around 24 and the mornings were chilly.. Which was so pleasant, especially if you're out in the field working "hard". Within the space of 3 days, the temperature rose by 20 degrees. So it's safe to say that it knocked the whole region off their feet. And it's been the earliest and longest heatwave in this area since 1896 apparently.
For me, the heat is usually a welcome treat, but I wasn't able to cope as well as I would have hoped I would, once the temperature reached 40. Tuesday I suffered badly. We've been working through the heat, but only until 11am each day.. And on somedays we were delighted if we would even make it to that hour. So Tuesday I was doing well, while we were out in the field. But as soon as I stopped, it hit me. I didn't realize just how exhausted, drained and hot and bothered I was. The first 2 hours after finishing work that day, I can't remember. I was so overwhelmed by the heat, that I just zoned-out and couldn't communicate. I was in tears for no reason and doing anything was an effort. Once I started to feel better, I had to rehydrate.. But it was hard to keep up with the amount of fluid I was sweating out. It was an awful feeling. And after that episode I was almost scared to go out in the sun when it was hottest. Even being out in it for a few minutes was horrendous. The wind would be so hot and just the air would make it painful on the eyes.. I steered clear of the outdoors, as much as poss. I had to.
It was a long week, after that.. And we so cautiously had to go about our daily things, just to make it through each day. Thinking clearly was a struggle and making decisions was out the window. Everyone in the hostel was effected by it. Exhaustion I think was the worst. And then the nights would be hot and sticky, and sometimes it was still 27degrees at midnight. It effected everything.. Only having an appetite when it got cooler at night then sleeping in the afternoon and working only in the morning and just saving every ounce of energy. There was simply never an opportunity to revive.
This lasted for around 5 to 6 days. And now it's a few degrees cooler, but from Thursday it's to reach the 40's again.. I could go on and on about it, but I think I've gotten it off my chest for now. And the worst should have passed..hopefully.
For now though, we finished the job we were doing on time and have a different job starting tomorrow, which will only be for 3 days.. After that, the plans should start coming together and you'll be the first to know.
Today it's Monday the 16th of November. The heat has "eased", and there's a slight change in the weather - or so the locals have been calling it - but us backpackers or travellers are still feeling the heat because it's 39degrees in the shade. Can you imagine what the temperature has been before today, if 39 can be called "cool"?! Since Tuesday last week, it's been above 43degrees. Some afternoons it's hit 46 and 47 in the field. A scortcher, as the ozzies would call it.
The first day it hit, was Tuesday and it was bad and so sudden. Especially taking into account that it's only Springtime right now, not yet officially the Summer, and 2 weeks ago the afternoon temperature was only around 24 and the mornings were chilly.. Which was so pleasant, especially if you're out in the field working "hard". Within the space of 3 days, the temperature rose by 20 degrees. So it's safe to say that it knocked the whole region off their feet. And it's been the earliest and longest heatwave in this area since 1896 apparently.
For me, the heat is usually a welcome treat, but I wasn't able to cope as well as I would have hoped I would, once the temperature reached 40. Tuesday I suffered badly. We've been working through the heat, but only until 11am each day.. And on somedays we were delighted if we would even make it to that hour. So Tuesday I was doing well, while we were out in the field. But as soon as I stopped, it hit me. I didn't realize just how exhausted, drained and hot and bothered I was. The first 2 hours after finishing work that day, I can't remember. I was so overwhelmed by the heat, that I just zoned-out and couldn't communicate. I was in tears for no reason and doing anything was an effort. Once I started to feel better, I had to rehydrate.. But it was hard to keep up with the amount of fluid I was sweating out. It was an awful feeling. And after that episode I was almost scared to go out in the sun when it was hottest. Even being out in it for a few minutes was horrendous. The wind would be so hot and just the air would make it painful on the eyes.. I steered clear of the outdoors, as much as poss. I had to.
It was a long week, after that.. And we so cautiously had to go about our daily things, just to make it through each day. Thinking clearly was a struggle and making decisions was out the window. Everyone in the hostel was effected by it. Exhaustion I think was the worst. And then the nights would be hot and sticky, and sometimes it was still 27degrees at midnight. It effected everything.. Only having an appetite when it got cooler at night then sleeping in the afternoon and working only in the morning and just saving every ounce of energy. There was simply never an opportunity to revive.
This lasted for around 5 to 6 days. And now it's a few degrees cooler, but from Thursday it's to reach the 40's again.. I could go on and on about it, but I think I've gotten it off my chest for now. And the worst should have passed..hopefully.
For now though, we finished the job we were doing on time and have a different job starting tomorrow, which will only be for 3 days.. After that, the plans should start coming together and you'll be the first to know.
Monday, November 9, 2009
A Perfect Time
1 week into our new job. We're working on the farm near Swan Hill, the rose farm where we worked together 3 years ago as well. We're only 1 week into the job, and it looks like it will be finishing up pretty soon. We knew it would be for only 3 weeks, but we're flying through it and will be lucky if we get another week out of it. Not to worry though. Before the job started, I was dreading getting back to work again as I was enjoying the time I was spending just hanging out, going to the library (yes, a bookworm is what I've become..haha) and going down to the river. But now that we've started work, it's so easy (so much easier than the job we were doing before this one, in Shepparton) that I'm raging it's going to be over. It's not only because the job is so easy-going, but it's also being back in the pub, in Nyah West.
Since last "reflecting" on how I was feeling about living above the pub again, I reckon I've totally settled there again and I feel so at home. I'm loving every minute of it. Actually, everything that's happening at the moment, I'm absolutely loving. The whole situation suits me so well, at the moment. Living in the pub, I've met some real inspirational people. It's full of backpackers (well not too full at the moment, as it's only the start of the working season in this area, I reckon there's around 17 people staying there now), with their amazing stories, their eagerness to explore the world and their open mindedness when it comes to adjusting to anything that's different and unknown. It's been great. I've also met some a Jasons other mates who live near Swan Hill permanently, and they have been amazing to get to know. One guy from New Zealand in particular. He is full of stories, so inspiring and he's so knowledgeable. He lives with some Koreans, and it's become a regular thing for us to go round to his place, eat Korean food and talk all night. It's the best!
The fact that we're living above the pub, has really brought home that I'm not as easily drawn into the party scene anymore. Most of the people I now find myself surrounded by, would want to be partying every night of the week. And it's so easily done too, with the pub downstairs. But I haven't been tempted the way I thought I would have been. We've a few great nights, but not as much as I thought and not as much as the rest either. And I'm sooo fine with it, it's almost like me and Jason are the "wise oldies" of the group. I'd put the Irish to shame now, with being such a lightweight: 2 beers and everyone guesses I've had at least 6, or that I've been drinking for hours. I'm not bothered though. Because I'm loving everything as it is. I love waking up in the morning, before everybody else, at around 5.30am. I love watching the sunrise, I love walking outside and it being so early but already feeling the heat in the air. I love starting the job and I love when it's time to go home too, back to the pub.. where everyone comes together again and where I always have the option to shut the door to everyone if I please. I love the starry nights in the evening, when it's clear and warm and dark with millions up millions of little flickering lights. I love the sweltering heat that makes a nights sleep one that is sticky, but the fan and the breeze coming through the window makes it all so much bearable.
Being where I am now, I'm only realizing just how isolated me and Jason were, when we were in Shepparton living in the van on the farm. When you''re in those situations you never see just how different things can be or just how intense certain circumstances actually are. Only looking back now, I can see how much I missed meeting new people and how they can inspire me when ideas are so similar. It's great. But it's only temporary, unfortunately. I was saying today to Jason that I wish we could stay for just a few more weeks. I wish we had another job around this area.. But all good things must come to an end, sooner or later. And I must admit, knowing that this situation will only be short lived, makes me enjoy every part of it even more.
As for some "breaking news".. This week, we're experiencing a heatwave. Everyday since Saturday, the temperature has been rising by a few degrees and by Wednesday it will up to 40. I haven't been in heat like this for ages. So it's going to be pretty hard going, as we're working out in the field without any shade whatsoever. So we're starting work earlier so we can finish around lunchtime. Just like today, so we can "beat the heat". It's all good though. Just as well the job itself is easy, or else there would be no hope at all!
Where I go from here, I haven't a notion. I've been contemplating and thinking and thinking (not too much though) and haven't been able to make a definite decision yet. I'll see where the next 2 weeks will lead me..
Since last "reflecting" on how I was feeling about living above the pub again, I reckon I've totally settled there again and I feel so at home. I'm loving every minute of it. Actually, everything that's happening at the moment, I'm absolutely loving. The whole situation suits me so well, at the moment. Living in the pub, I've met some real inspirational people. It's full of backpackers (well not too full at the moment, as it's only the start of the working season in this area, I reckon there's around 17 people staying there now), with their amazing stories, their eagerness to explore the world and their open mindedness when it comes to adjusting to anything that's different and unknown. It's been great. I've also met some a Jasons other mates who live near Swan Hill permanently, and they have been amazing to get to know. One guy from New Zealand in particular. He is full of stories, so inspiring and he's so knowledgeable. He lives with some Koreans, and it's become a regular thing for us to go round to his place, eat Korean food and talk all night. It's the best!
The fact that we're living above the pub, has really brought home that I'm not as easily drawn into the party scene anymore. Most of the people I now find myself surrounded by, would want to be partying every night of the week. And it's so easily done too, with the pub downstairs. But I haven't been tempted the way I thought I would have been. We've a few great nights, but not as much as I thought and not as much as the rest either. And I'm sooo fine with it, it's almost like me and Jason are the "wise oldies" of the group. I'd put the Irish to shame now, with being such a lightweight: 2 beers and everyone guesses I've had at least 6, or that I've been drinking for hours. I'm not bothered though. Because I'm loving everything as it is. I love waking up in the morning, before everybody else, at around 5.30am. I love watching the sunrise, I love walking outside and it being so early but already feeling the heat in the air. I love starting the job and I love when it's time to go home too, back to the pub.. where everyone comes together again and where I always have the option to shut the door to everyone if I please. I love the starry nights in the evening, when it's clear and warm and dark with millions up millions of little flickering lights. I love the sweltering heat that makes a nights sleep one that is sticky, but the fan and the breeze coming through the window makes it all so much bearable.
Being where I am now, I'm only realizing just how isolated me and Jason were, when we were in Shepparton living in the van on the farm. When you''re in those situations you never see just how different things can be or just how intense certain circumstances actually are. Only looking back now, I can see how much I missed meeting new people and how they can inspire me when ideas are so similar. It's great. But it's only temporary, unfortunately. I was saying today to Jason that I wish we could stay for just a few more weeks. I wish we had another job around this area.. But all good things must come to an end, sooner or later. And I must admit, knowing that this situation will only be short lived, makes me enjoy every part of it even more.
As for some "breaking news".. This week, we're experiencing a heatwave. Everyday since Saturday, the temperature has been rising by a few degrees and by Wednesday it will up to 40. I haven't been in heat like this for ages. So it's going to be pretty hard going, as we're working out in the field without any shade whatsoever. So we're starting work earlier so we can finish around lunchtime. Just like today, so we can "beat the heat". It's all good though. Just as well the job itself is easy, or else there would be no hope at all!
Where I go from here, I haven't a notion. I've been contemplating and thinking and thinking (not too much though) and haven't been able to make a definite decision yet. I'll see where the next 2 weeks will lead me..
Friday, October 23, 2009
Starting life at the "Grand"
It's Friday afternoon, it's a warm and it's sunny day. Summer is here in Swan Hill and the people are buzzing. Everybody is excited by it and the temperature is hitting 30 degrees today. It happened so suddenly. Within the space of 2 days, we went from 15degrees to nearly 30.. How drastically it can change..
The past week and half, since arriving in Swan Hill, have flown by. Me and Jason are waiting for the next job to start. It will be on a rose farm near Swan Hill, working with trees again. I'll be doing pretty much the same as I did 3 years ago. We worked there together then too. It will be strange going back there again, but good all the same. The job will last probably 3 weeks and from there, who knows.
When we first got to Swan Hill last week, we had decided that we'd move into the "Grand Hotel" in Nyah West. It's the place I stayed at, 3 years ago and it's also where I met Jason and where we first worked together. It's in the tiniest of towns, and should probably be classed as a proper country pub, with 40 odd rooms above it instead of calling it a hotel. Because this "hotel" doesn't live up to it's name; there's nothing at all "grand" about it.. But comparing it how we've been living over the past 2 months, it's luxury.
Last week we thought it would be a good idea to stay at the pub, while we were working on the rose farm. It would give us some more space for a while, it would break the monotony of living in the van and we'd be meeting lots of other workers and travelers at the same time - because that's the type of place it is: it's a place where people stay only temporarily when the seasonal farming work is available..it's a town people just pass through..(only if you're unlucky enough to find something that will keep you there for any particular length of time..then you're doomed!!)
So I was excited about staying there again. I knew it would bring up so many memories when I was first there, in 2006. And it did.. We stayed there last week for just one night and it didn't feel too great, if I'm totally honest. I didn't know what came over me.. I was just overwhelmed by the fact that I ended up back there again. The times I had there, when I first got to Australia in 2006, were amazing. They were some of my most precious times and the times I'd miss the most, whenever I'd be thinking back to when I traveled Oz for the year. I felt that by being there, I was trying to recreate the past. It was like I was trying to relive the memories that were, and still are, so dear to me. I felt like I was going to make the Grand hotel in Nyah West into something different than it is, in my head and I was also afraid that I'd start to look at it in a different light and not be as fond of it as I am. I was also overwhelmed by how much I've changed. I was walking into the kitchen, I was walking down the corridor, I was having a shower, and constantly seeing me as a young girl, doing all these things, but who had only just started her adventures, who had only arrived in the country, who was new to the traveling lifestyle, who was partying hard, who was so naive and so so young. I saw her constantly, it was me and I was seeing how I used to be. I saw how I looked at the world and at people and at traveling. And I couldn't believe how much 3 years has changed me. Suddenly it was like I was seeing this person who is no longer an innocent and naive traveler, on the go, running through life with an enormous amount of energy. I could see so clearly, what I had "become" since leaving there, in December 2006. I could see what life had thrown at me, and now it was like coming full-circle almost, just so I would be reminded of how much I've changed and how I've come to value such different things in life. It's unreal and was a bit of head-wreck at first. It made me feel isolated, scared and it made me panic.. It wasn't until afterwards I realized why I felt that way. And it's only now that I'm sharing this with you that I can see it even more clearly and it makes all the more sense.
This happened last week. Jason said that if I wasn't comfortable staying there, then we just stay in the van, no worries. But I knew it would be good to stay there again.. So, up until yesterday, we've been camping anywhere and everywhere, just to save some pennies before and last night we moved into the pub. By anywhere and everywhere, I mean camping on the river, in our mates driveway, then in the forest, then on the racetrack grounds.. Filling the time has been too easy, especially with the gorgeous weather. Jason has been doing some fishing and catching up with some mates and stuff. I've become a part of the community, by sitting in the library nearly everyday, working on my laptop, reading heaps and catching up on internet-stuff (except facebook..oops..). Last night we were back at the pub, which is where we'll be staying for the next 3 weeks. I felt so much better, when I got there last night. It was almost a relief to be there. Maybe because, now we'll be a little settled for a few weeks. We don't have to ask ourselves everyday: "where are we camping tonight", we don't have to plan ahead too much, we've a shower at our disposal, we've a lounge, we've a kitchen and an unbelievable amount of space! How nice it will be!!!! O yeah, and a pub downstairs ;)
For now, I don't want this time-off to end..haha. I'm having a ball! Haven't partied in a while and I must admit that I do miss it now and then. But there hasn't been an opportunity and there are so many other things to enjoy in life. So that's fine.
The next 3 weeks are pretty much planned for now, and from there, I'll have to be making some proper decisions..humm.. keep you posted!
The past week and half, since arriving in Swan Hill, have flown by. Me and Jason are waiting for the next job to start. It will be on a rose farm near Swan Hill, working with trees again. I'll be doing pretty much the same as I did 3 years ago. We worked there together then too. It will be strange going back there again, but good all the same. The job will last probably 3 weeks and from there, who knows.
When we first got to Swan Hill last week, we had decided that we'd move into the "Grand Hotel" in Nyah West. It's the place I stayed at, 3 years ago and it's also where I met Jason and where we first worked together. It's in the tiniest of towns, and should probably be classed as a proper country pub, with 40 odd rooms above it instead of calling it a hotel. Because this "hotel" doesn't live up to it's name; there's nothing at all "grand" about it.. But comparing it how we've been living over the past 2 months, it's luxury.
Last week we thought it would be a good idea to stay at the pub, while we were working on the rose farm. It would give us some more space for a while, it would break the monotony of living in the van and we'd be meeting lots of other workers and travelers at the same time - because that's the type of place it is: it's a place where people stay only temporarily when the seasonal farming work is available..it's a town people just pass through..(only if you're unlucky enough to find something that will keep you there for any particular length of time..then you're doomed!!)
So I was excited about staying there again. I knew it would bring up so many memories when I was first there, in 2006. And it did.. We stayed there last week for just one night and it didn't feel too great, if I'm totally honest. I didn't know what came over me.. I was just overwhelmed by the fact that I ended up back there again. The times I had there, when I first got to Australia in 2006, were amazing. They were some of my most precious times and the times I'd miss the most, whenever I'd be thinking back to when I traveled Oz for the year. I felt that by being there, I was trying to recreate the past. It was like I was trying to relive the memories that were, and still are, so dear to me. I felt like I was going to make the Grand hotel in Nyah West into something different than it is, in my head and I was also afraid that I'd start to look at it in a different light and not be as fond of it as I am. I was also overwhelmed by how much I've changed. I was walking into the kitchen, I was walking down the corridor, I was having a shower, and constantly seeing me as a young girl, doing all these things, but who had only just started her adventures, who had only arrived in the country, who was new to the traveling lifestyle, who was partying hard, who was so naive and so so young. I saw her constantly, it was me and I was seeing how I used to be. I saw how I looked at the world and at people and at traveling. And I couldn't believe how much 3 years has changed me. Suddenly it was like I was seeing this person who is no longer an innocent and naive traveler, on the go, running through life with an enormous amount of energy. I could see so clearly, what I had "become" since leaving there, in December 2006. I could see what life had thrown at me, and now it was like coming full-circle almost, just so I would be reminded of how much I've changed and how I've come to value such different things in life. It's unreal and was a bit of head-wreck at first. It made me feel isolated, scared and it made me panic.. It wasn't until afterwards I realized why I felt that way. And it's only now that I'm sharing this with you that I can see it even more clearly and it makes all the more sense.
This happened last week. Jason said that if I wasn't comfortable staying there, then we just stay in the van, no worries. But I knew it would be good to stay there again.. So, up until yesterday, we've been camping anywhere and everywhere, just to save some pennies before and last night we moved into the pub. By anywhere and everywhere, I mean camping on the river, in our mates driveway, then in the forest, then on the racetrack grounds.. Filling the time has been too easy, especially with the gorgeous weather. Jason has been doing some fishing and catching up with some mates and stuff. I've become a part of the community, by sitting in the library nearly everyday, working on my laptop, reading heaps and catching up on internet-stuff (except facebook..oops..). Last night we were back at the pub, which is where we'll be staying for the next 3 weeks. I felt so much better, when I got there last night. It was almost a relief to be there. Maybe because, now we'll be a little settled for a few weeks. We don't have to ask ourselves everyday: "where are we camping tonight", we don't have to plan ahead too much, we've a shower at our disposal, we've a lounge, we've a kitchen and an unbelievable amount of space! How nice it will be!!!! O yeah, and a pub downstairs ;)
For now, I don't want this time-off to end..haha. I'm having a ball! Haven't partied in a while and I must admit that I do miss it now and then. But there hasn't been an opportunity and there are so many other things to enjoy in life. So that's fine.
The next 3 weeks are pretty much planned for now, and from there, I'll have to be making some proper decisions..humm.. keep you posted!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Goodbye Shepparton
No longer in Shepparton, no longer on the farm. Suddenly there's no more trees and no more work..
Last week, everything came to a sudden stop. The trees were no longer needing our attention and our work was done. Because the weather is slowly starting to warm up, it means the "tree-grafting season" is also ending. I knew it was on the cards at some stage but thought it would be the end of this month. Instead, on Wednesday night we found out that Thursday morning we would be finishing up.. For now anyhow. So that's when the big question popped up.. What to do next?
And that was quite a big question indeed. I hadn't a notion what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. Jason had some other jobs lined-up and wanted me to keep on working for him. He's actually got work for me, tieing trees on different farms around Victoria and Adelaide, from the end of October until March or April, if I want it - But that's a long way off yet, for me to be making any decisions that far down the line.. Until the end of October though, so another 3 weeks, there's no work for either of us. We were at a loose end all of a sudden. But still have the van, still have our "home" so there really isn't a problem.
Since finishing on Thursday morning, we've been camping with the manager of the Shepparton farm and his wife, James and Dell, in the forest on the Murray river for a few nights. We've been fishing, hanging out, having bbq's, paddling around in canoes and just chilling before hitting the road. Because, even though we didn't know what to do with ourselves, we definitely knew that it was time to leave the farm and Shepparton behind. 6 weeks of being there was enough. We said our goodbyes last night, to the farm and to James and Dell, to the trees, to the deer, to our campsite, to our "kitchen", to our bushshower (we managed to get our hands on a portable shower, that's great to use out in the bush..fill a bag with hot water, tie it to a tree, and with the hose you can have the quickest shower in the world..and hope nobody drives past (!!!)). Our time on the farm was an experience, to say the least. I've never lived in such an intense environment before, with regards to space, isolation, work and the general monotony of the whole lifestyle.. But it was one I'm so grateful to have had. So it was a little sad to say goodbye. And James and Dell were so good to us during our stay. They invited us into their home, cooked us a few dinners.. Let us watch some of his telly (!!!) and they were delighted to have us on their farm. What a great bunch of people! So glad to have met them.
However, after 6 weeks we did both need a change of scenery. And we're getting it right now.. I'm sitting in the library in Swan Hill. It's Monday afternoon, and we got here this morning. The reason we've headed up this way is because Jason needs to find out when his next job starts. It also gives us a chance to catch up with some friends, just like the last time. The last time we were here, we stayed with our friend John, but we'll probably be camping in the forest this time. That was nearly 3months ago. It was chilly back then and Jason and I were just finishing our roadtrip. Now, after a month in Cairns, and nearly 7 weeks on the farm, we're back in this so familiar town, with familiar faces, contacts, places to go and with much nicer weather. It's mid-twenties at the moment, coming into Summer -much warmer than Shepparton, which is around 5 degrees colder at the moment (more southern, and nearer to Melbourne). It's a nice change and it almost feels as though we're on a mini roadtrip again. We're not sure if we'll be staying here, until work starts, or if we'll be heading off to Adelaide maybe. It's a little uncertain just yet. I've no definite plans, but when plans are made definite things can so easily so belly-up. But then again, making plans is the only way to get things done.. And the Ozzie mentality doesn't really do "certainty" all too well. So going with the flow is what I'll be doing for now.. and I'll be enjoying the time-off and the nice weather.
If the plans take me anywhere else, you'll be the first to know!
Last week, everything came to a sudden stop. The trees were no longer needing our attention and our work was done. Because the weather is slowly starting to warm up, it means the "tree-grafting season" is also ending. I knew it was on the cards at some stage but thought it would be the end of this month. Instead, on Wednesday night we found out that Thursday morning we would be finishing up.. For now anyhow. So that's when the big question popped up.. What to do next?
And that was quite a big question indeed. I hadn't a notion what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. Jason had some other jobs lined-up and wanted me to keep on working for him. He's actually got work for me, tieing trees on different farms around Victoria and Adelaide, from the end of October until March or April, if I want it - But that's a long way off yet, for me to be making any decisions that far down the line.. Until the end of October though, so another 3 weeks, there's no work for either of us. We were at a loose end all of a sudden. But still have the van, still have our "home" so there really isn't a problem.
Since finishing on Thursday morning, we've been camping with the manager of the Shepparton farm and his wife, James and Dell, in the forest on the Murray river for a few nights. We've been fishing, hanging out, having bbq's, paddling around in canoes and just chilling before hitting the road. Because, even though we didn't know what to do with ourselves, we definitely knew that it was time to leave the farm and Shepparton behind. 6 weeks of being there was enough. We said our goodbyes last night, to the farm and to James and Dell, to the trees, to the deer, to our campsite, to our "kitchen", to our bushshower (we managed to get our hands on a portable shower, that's great to use out in the bush..fill a bag with hot water, tie it to a tree, and with the hose you can have the quickest shower in the world..and hope nobody drives past (!!!)). Our time on the farm was an experience, to say the least. I've never lived in such an intense environment before, with regards to space, isolation, work and the general monotony of the whole lifestyle.. But it was one I'm so grateful to have had. So it was a little sad to say goodbye. And James and Dell were so good to us during our stay. They invited us into their home, cooked us a few dinners.. Let us watch some of his telly (!!!) and they were delighted to have us on their farm. What a great bunch of people! So glad to have met them.
However, after 6 weeks we did both need a change of scenery. And we're getting it right now.. I'm sitting in the library in Swan Hill. It's Monday afternoon, and we got here this morning. The reason we've headed up this way is because Jason needs to find out when his next job starts. It also gives us a chance to catch up with some friends, just like the last time. The last time we were here, we stayed with our friend John, but we'll probably be camping in the forest this time. That was nearly 3months ago. It was chilly back then and Jason and I were just finishing our roadtrip. Now, after a month in Cairns, and nearly 7 weeks on the farm, we're back in this so familiar town, with familiar faces, contacts, places to go and with much nicer weather. It's mid-twenties at the moment, coming into Summer -much warmer than Shepparton, which is around 5 degrees colder at the moment (more southern, and nearer to Melbourne). It's a nice change and it almost feels as though we're on a mini roadtrip again. We're not sure if we'll be staying here, until work starts, or if we'll be heading off to Adelaide maybe. It's a little uncertain just yet. I've no definite plans, but when plans are made definite things can so easily so belly-up. But then again, making plans is the only way to get things done.. And the Ozzie mentality doesn't really do "certainty" all too well. So going with the flow is what I'll be doing for now.. and I'll be enjoying the time-off and the nice weather.
If the plans take me anywhere else, you'll be the first to know!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Coming Full-Circle Part 1
The last week of our trip together. That's what the past 7 days proved to be, when I plucked up the courage to book a flight for Wednesday morning, the 22nd of July, back to Cairns. Maybe an unexpected turn of events. Not the fact that the trip would be coming to an end, but more the fact that I decided to fly back to an amazing place, I had already seen.
After 2 days of being in Swan Hill, I knew that I had to take action. I had to make a decision, I had to take that leap of faith. I had different options and opportunities. Jason had offered me a job with him in Adelaide, on the farm. He said this from the very beginning, so I had that in the back of my mind. But the more the trip progressed and the more I seen of North Queensland, the more wrong it felt for me to decide to stay in Adelaide and work on the farm. The work for one, was something that was stopping me. I haven't worked in over a year, and for my first job to be on the farm, out in the middle of winter in South Australia (day time temperature of around 14 degrees..and freezing mornings..I've turned into a real cold-blooded person.. (which I might have been, even before getting to the north of this amazing country)), would definitely be pushing myself too hard and too fast. Another reason why it felt wrong to stay in Adelaide, was that I wanted to keep on moving and be the independent traveler I dreamt I was going to be. It was such a hard decision to make. And if I'm honest, staying in Adelaide would have been the easiest option.. I would be in Jasons company (which I, quite frankly, didn't want to have to miss) and I'd be earning money, I wouldn't have to pay for accommodation or a flight, and I'd be settled for a short while. But choosing the easiest option isn't always the right option.. And I'm not one to choose the easy way out either..
So, on Friday, I sat behind the computer, in Swan Hill, without anybody there to influence or interfere with my decision. I nearly chickened out, once it came to clicking the "confirm flight" button. But I didn't. I clicked the button. I then started to feel sick to my stomach, nervous and it felt so so wrong knowing that on the 22nd of July the trip would definitely be ending and I would leaving Jason. I got back to Johns house, the mate who we were staying with while we were in Swan Hill, and me and Jason couldn't quite believe that I'd done it.. We both never thought that I'd go through with it. But I did. So to ease the nerves and the sickly feeling we then went down to the river, the Murray, with the 3 of us and had rabbit in a campoven (a big steal pot, in the ground, surrounded by coals, which takes hours and hours to cook, but is absolutely delicious..), a fire and some drinks before setting up camp and sleeping in the bush, for one more time. Very surreal I might add.. seeing as though it was here where we used to hang out every weekend, when I was here back in 2006. And there we were, last Friday night, sitting with the 3 of us once again.. Crazy..
Anyhow, we ended up staying in Johns until Monday morning. I know, I know.. much longer than we anticipated, but there you have it.. We got comfortable being in a house, and being in Johns company and having a couch to slouch on and heat in the evenings and a larger space to move around in, compared to the 1.5 by 1.5m in the van. We were spoilt for a few days. We visited mates of Jason, on Saturday afternoon. I had such a blast, was fed some beers and I felt so at home.. (even without the beers I would have felt at home..). They were the first aboriginal family I'd gotten to know and vaguely remember from the farm I used to work on. They welcomed me into their home, and I didn't want to leave.. Amazing people.
Finally Monday morning came, and it was time to get on the move again. It was a day of driving from Swan Hill to the South Australian boarder. It was our last night to camp out in the middle of nowhere, along the river Murray again..(it's the longest river in Oz by the way, so we followed it the whole way back towards Adelaide). The sunset was pink, and the stars had never shone so brightly.. All because there was no moon.. They were brighter than anywhere we'd stargazed, when we were up in the North. Amazing!
This wasn't the end of the final week just yet.. There's more to come..xxx
After 2 days of being in Swan Hill, I knew that I had to take action. I had to make a decision, I had to take that leap of faith. I had different options and opportunities. Jason had offered me a job with him in Adelaide, on the farm. He said this from the very beginning, so I had that in the back of my mind. But the more the trip progressed and the more I seen of North Queensland, the more wrong it felt for me to decide to stay in Adelaide and work on the farm. The work for one, was something that was stopping me. I haven't worked in over a year, and for my first job to be on the farm, out in the middle of winter in South Australia (day time temperature of around 14 degrees..and freezing mornings..I've turned into a real cold-blooded person.. (which I might have been, even before getting to the north of this amazing country)), would definitely be pushing myself too hard and too fast. Another reason why it felt wrong to stay in Adelaide, was that I wanted to keep on moving and be the independent traveler I dreamt I was going to be. It was such a hard decision to make. And if I'm honest, staying in Adelaide would have been the easiest option.. I would be in Jasons company (which I, quite frankly, didn't want to have to miss) and I'd be earning money, I wouldn't have to pay for accommodation or a flight, and I'd be settled for a short while. But choosing the easiest option isn't always the right option.. And I'm not one to choose the easy way out either..
So, on Friday, I sat behind the computer, in Swan Hill, without anybody there to influence or interfere with my decision. I nearly chickened out, once it came to clicking the "confirm flight" button. But I didn't. I clicked the button. I then started to feel sick to my stomach, nervous and it felt so so wrong knowing that on the 22nd of July the trip would definitely be ending and I would leaving Jason. I got back to Johns house, the mate who we were staying with while we were in Swan Hill, and me and Jason couldn't quite believe that I'd done it.. We both never thought that I'd go through with it. But I did. So to ease the nerves and the sickly feeling we then went down to the river, the Murray, with the 3 of us and had rabbit in a campoven (a big steal pot, in the ground, surrounded by coals, which takes hours and hours to cook, but is absolutely delicious..), a fire and some drinks before setting up camp and sleeping in the bush, for one more time. Very surreal I might add.. seeing as though it was here where we used to hang out every weekend, when I was here back in 2006. And there we were, last Friday night, sitting with the 3 of us once again.. Crazy..
Anyhow, we ended up staying in Johns until Monday morning. I know, I know.. much longer than we anticipated, but there you have it.. We got comfortable being in a house, and being in Johns company and having a couch to slouch on and heat in the evenings and a larger space to move around in, compared to the 1.5 by 1.5m in the van. We were spoilt for a few days. We visited mates of Jason, on Saturday afternoon. I had such a blast, was fed some beers and I felt so at home.. (even without the beers I would have felt at home..). They were the first aboriginal family I'd gotten to know and vaguely remember from the farm I used to work on. They welcomed me into their home, and I didn't want to leave.. Amazing people.
Finally Monday morning came, and it was time to get on the move again. It was a day of driving from Swan Hill to the South Australian boarder. It was our last night to camp out in the middle of nowhere, along the river Murray again..(it's the longest river in Oz by the way, so we followed it the whole way back towards Adelaide). The sunset was pink, and the stars had never shone so brightly.. All because there was no moon.. They were brighter than anywhere we'd stargazed, when we were up in the North. Amazing!
This wasn't the end of the final week just yet.. There's more to come..xxx
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Visiting - driving - visiting - driving - visiting
I find myself in a place I've been before. Somewhere that isn't new to me, somewhere that's familiar. A little blast from the great times of my past. I'm in Swan Hill, in Victoria (only 4 hours north of Melbourne), where I worked in 2006, for nearly 3 months, when I first came to Australia. It's where I had my first job in Oz and where I worked with Jason. Swan Hill was always the nearest town to the hotel, where we all lived. We would come here every week for shopping, it was like our base and Nyah West is where the hotel was and also where we worked, which is 25 km down the road.
We got here yesterday after a week of full-on driving and are staying with a mate who used to live at the hotel too, but now lives in Swan Hill, a guy called John. We rocked up at his place yesterday afternoon, without any warning.. A little risky, but he was delighted to see us and couldn't believe that I was there.. He thought he was never gonna see me again, just like I thought I never would see him again either.
Such a great time we've had, catching up. And so surreal aswell. The whole set-up and situation right now is so strange.. I was sitting on a sofa last night in a living room (which has been something I haven't done in nearly 2 months, so even that felt odd), with Jason and John, in Swan Hill, 2,5 years after leaving here.. I'm back in a place I had some magic moments and a place that holds some of my dearest memories from backpacking. I'm almost a different person, with a different state of mind, on a different journey and with so many different things going on in my life.. Things that I could never have imagined that could happen to me, have happened or have the potential of happening. It's the strangest feeling.
This morning we went to Nyah West, and that totally blew my mind. Seeing the hotel where we stayed, the phonebox where I used to ring home, the pathway I used to jog along in 40 degree heat, the deli where I used to email from, and the pub where I used to spend so much of my hard-earned cash on a beer after a day of tieing trees with Jason in the paddock. It was so crazy. Not much has changed. I even seen some familiar faces, everybody still doing their daily thing.. I had forgotten how backwards that tiny little town was. It's still like a place out of the 1960's.. the buildings, the roads, the "shops", everything. But it felt great to be there. Especially seeing as though it was there that I met Jason, and now I was back but after having traveled thousands of miles with him; It's all so surreal..
Before getting to Swan Hill, we came down from Childers (up on the east coast of Queensland). Along the way we've been visiting some other cool people. We left Childers last Friday morning, and headed down towards Brisbane. We were going to visit Trish and Ed, back in Caboolture. It was again the strangest thing really, because in a way it was like coming full-circle. I had left there, 6 weeks earlier, when I got on the plane to fly to Adelaide and suddenly I was back to where my journey in Australia had started out. But with so much than I set off with. So many great memories, that Jason and I are already thriving on. We got there on Friday afternoon, had some drinks and lots of chat out on the porch. We stayed in their house on Friday night, after having a great lamb curry, which gets mentioned everytime we see sheep or lamb in the fields as we're driving along (thanks again Trish!). It was all such luxury. Staying in a house, with heat for one, was glorious. The nights have been getting so much colder the past 2 weeks.. so a proper roof over our heads was soooo nice and warm.
Saturday we went on a search for a mate of ours, Lewis, who we stayed in the pub with in Nyah West years ago. We had his home address in Brisbane and after getting lost in the suburbs for a while, we finally made it to his house.. Totally unannounced we knocked on his front door, not even knowing if he still lived there or not.. When the door opened, it wasn't him though.. Our bubble burst so quickly, after the excitement took over both of us for a few minutes, once we were told that he moved out a while ago and that the new owner had no idea of his whereabouts. What a shame. We had no way of contacting him.. But at least we gave it a try. Deflated we left and got lost some more around the suburbs of Brisbane, until dinnertime and then just desperately wanted to get out of there.. We had nowhere to camp in the city so we had to hit the highway.. and freeze our socks off once again, as we found a restarea on the highway.
The next day, Sunday, we went to visit a mate, Craig, in Stanthorpe (south of Brisbane), who we also worked with in Nyah West. I was so excited to see him, we always got along so well. I never ever thought I'd see him again, just like John, but there you have it.. (my new motto should become: never say never) We got to his house (announced I might add, which makes a nice change..haha), hung out with him for the afternoon, had some beers and hit the highway again, in search of restarea where we could light a campfire. And it worked!! Halleluja, we had heat! A raging fire at night, and in the morning once again. You might be wondering just how cold it gets, at night. Well, I'm afraid back home, it might not be considered cold at all.. My Irish blood hasn't been serving me well at all, since I got so used to the warmer climate up in North Queensland.. It's only around 5 degrees at night, and 15 in the day.. So it's not freezing cold, but fairly chilly when you don't have heat in the van at night. Anyhow, enough about the weather..
From Monday onwards we were doing some good driving.. When I say good, I mean, "putting in a lot of km's". We had to put in the hours and needed to push ourselves to get on the road, good and proper again, that's if we wanted to move ourselves in space, not only in time. And they were very monotonous days I can tell you, and playing eye-spy doesn't really work when there's nothing around. Talking..and talking and talking alot of "bla bla bla" is all we can do. Which can't really be considered as talking. So then we go for just plain silence which can be nice, but then we both get too caught up in our thoughts and are like 2 zombi's and Jason then gets fatigued and agitated by rattling sounds in the van and I feel useless because I can't do anything to help or can't drive.. Hummm.. I reckon thousands of km's will do anybody's head in. So the camping at night was all we had to look forward to. On Monday night we were in the forest with a fire, Tuesday night we stopped in a truckstop.. and last night we were in Johns nice warm house here in Swan Hill..
So at the moment, we're only 600 km's away from Adelaide. This is probably our final port of call, before coming full-circle good and proper. John wants us to stay for a few days. We aren't too sure just yet how long.. Maybe until tomorrow or Saturday.. It depends. I don't know what it depends on really. But just on us I suppose. So much of the trip is now behind us, and I'm noticing that both of us have been pretty tired over the past days.. so many impressions, so many sights, so many kilometers.. It has been taking us more and more out of us, to keep the energy going. But being here, and feeling the way I'm feeling right now, it's all going effortlessly again. Which is great. We'll more than likely be back in Adelaide at the beginning of next week. That's an estimate. We'll see what happens. Until then, we're enjoying being in a house for a few days, in a warm bed and with great company.. I always said that Nyah West came close to being the best.. xxxx
We got here yesterday after a week of full-on driving and are staying with a mate who used to live at the hotel too, but now lives in Swan Hill, a guy called John. We rocked up at his place yesterday afternoon, without any warning.. A little risky, but he was delighted to see us and couldn't believe that I was there.. He thought he was never gonna see me again, just like I thought I never would see him again either.
Such a great time we've had, catching up. And so surreal aswell. The whole set-up and situation right now is so strange.. I was sitting on a sofa last night in a living room (which has been something I haven't done in nearly 2 months, so even that felt odd), with Jason and John, in Swan Hill, 2,5 years after leaving here.. I'm back in a place I had some magic moments and a place that holds some of my dearest memories from backpacking. I'm almost a different person, with a different state of mind, on a different journey and with so many different things going on in my life.. Things that I could never have imagined that could happen to me, have happened or have the potential of happening. It's the strangest feeling.
This morning we went to Nyah West, and that totally blew my mind. Seeing the hotel where we stayed, the phonebox where I used to ring home, the pathway I used to jog along in 40 degree heat, the deli where I used to email from, and the pub where I used to spend so much of my hard-earned cash on a beer after a day of tieing trees with Jason in the paddock. It was so crazy. Not much has changed. I even seen some familiar faces, everybody still doing their daily thing.. I had forgotten how backwards that tiny little town was. It's still like a place out of the 1960's.. the buildings, the roads, the "shops", everything. But it felt great to be there. Especially seeing as though it was there that I met Jason, and now I was back but after having traveled thousands of miles with him; It's all so surreal..
Before getting to Swan Hill, we came down from Childers (up on the east coast of Queensland). Along the way we've been visiting some other cool people. We left Childers last Friday morning, and headed down towards Brisbane. We were going to visit Trish and Ed, back in Caboolture. It was again the strangest thing really, because in a way it was like coming full-circle. I had left there, 6 weeks earlier, when I got on the plane to fly to Adelaide and suddenly I was back to where my journey in Australia had started out. But with so much than I set off with. So many great memories, that Jason and I are already thriving on. We got there on Friday afternoon, had some drinks and lots of chat out on the porch. We stayed in their house on Friday night, after having a great lamb curry, which gets mentioned everytime we see sheep or lamb in the fields as we're driving along (thanks again Trish!). It was all such luxury. Staying in a house, with heat for one, was glorious. The nights have been getting so much colder the past 2 weeks.. so a proper roof over our heads was soooo nice and warm.
Saturday we went on a search for a mate of ours, Lewis, who we stayed in the pub with in Nyah West years ago. We had his home address in Brisbane and after getting lost in the suburbs for a while, we finally made it to his house.. Totally unannounced we knocked on his front door, not even knowing if he still lived there or not.. When the door opened, it wasn't him though.. Our bubble burst so quickly, after the excitement took over both of us for a few minutes, once we were told that he moved out a while ago and that the new owner had no idea of his whereabouts. What a shame. We had no way of contacting him.. But at least we gave it a try. Deflated we left and got lost some more around the suburbs of Brisbane, until dinnertime and then just desperately wanted to get out of there.. We had nowhere to camp in the city so we had to hit the highway.. and freeze our socks off once again, as we found a restarea on the highway.
The next day, Sunday, we went to visit a mate, Craig, in Stanthorpe (south of Brisbane), who we also worked with in Nyah West. I was so excited to see him, we always got along so well. I never ever thought I'd see him again, just like John, but there you have it.. (my new motto should become: never say never) We got to his house (announced I might add, which makes a nice change..haha), hung out with him for the afternoon, had some beers and hit the highway again, in search of restarea where we could light a campfire. And it worked!! Halleluja, we had heat! A raging fire at night, and in the morning once again. You might be wondering just how cold it gets, at night. Well, I'm afraid back home, it might not be considered cold at all.. My Irish blood hasn't been serving me well at all, since I got so used to the warmer climate up in North Queensland.. It's only around 5 degrees at night, and 15 in the day.. So it's not freezing cold, but fairly chilly when you don't have heat in the van at night. Anyhow, enough about the weather..
From Monday onwards we were doing some good driving.. When I say good, I mean, "putting in a lot of km's". We had to put in the hours and needed to push ourselves to get on the road, good and proper again, that's if we wanted to move ourselves in space, not only in time. And they were very monotonous days I can tell you, and playing eye-spy doesn't really work when there's nothing around. Talking..and talking and talking alot of "bla bla bla" is all we can do. Which can't really be considered as talking. So then we go for just plain silence which can be nice, but then we both get too caught up in our thoughts and are like 2 zombi's and Jason then gets fatigued and agitated by rattling sounds in the van and I feel useless because I can't do anything to help or can't drive.. Hummm.. I reckon thousands of km's will do anybody's head in. So the camping at night was all we had to look forward to. On Monday night we were in the forest with a fire, Tuesday night we stopped in a truckstop.. and last night we were in Johns nice warm house here in Swan Hill..
So at the moment, we're only 600 km's away from Adelaide. This is probably our final port of call, before coming full-circle good and proper. John wants us to stay for a few days. We aren't too sure just yet how long.. Maybe until tomorrow or Saturday.. It depends. I don't know what it depends on really. But just on us I suppose. So much of the trip is now behind us, and I'm noticing that both of us have been pretty tired over the past days.. so many impressions, so many sights, so many kilometers.. It has been taking us more and more out of us, to keep the energy going. But being here, and feeling the way I'm feeling right now, it's all going effortlessly again. Which is great. We'll more than likely be back in Adelaide at the beginning of next week. That's an estimate. We'll see what happens. Until then, we're enjoying being in a house for a few days, in a warm bed and with great company.. I always said that Nyah West came close to being the best.. xxxx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)