People have asked me what I did on my holidays, so here is a list of things I enjoyed while in Australia:
• Family! It was good to have ordinary time with family, to just hang out and do normal things. This included Scrabble with Mum, cryptic crosswords with Dad, Lego with my godson, books, games, craft and tree climbing with nieces and nephews, family bbqs in the back yard, phone conversations with no delay… and more.
• Friends! I know I only caught up with a few of you, but it was grand to be able to do so. I am blessed with many friendships that can pick up where they left off, even after building lives in different places.
• The Beach! Walking on the beach, eating fish and chips by the beach, swimming in the ocean, breathing deep of salt air. These are all things which I no longer take for granted.
• Cafes! Hot chocolate, iced coffee, cappuccino, flat white, gelato or rich and wonderful cakes… all just an order away. Time with my journal or time with family or friends. Sitting there while someone else serves you good food and good drink. Warrnambool has a collection of wonderful cafes, and I made it to all my favourites… at least once.
• Anonymity! To walk down the street and have no one watching. To walk down the street at night if I chose to and for it to be safe.
• Public Transport! Hopping on a tram or a train and having it run reliably and safely was a pleasure. When in Melbourne I kept catching the tram into town, because I could. I wasn’t really doing vast amounts of shopping, but I was finding excuses to indulge in public transport and anonymity and safety on the street.
• Stone fruits! Cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines… as much as I love my fresh tropical fruits, being home in stone fruit season was very yummy.
• Smallgoods! Cheeses, olives, salami, interesting breads, dips, nuts, dried figs… such a range of affordable and yummy options. Walking around Queen Vic Markets was like walking around a gourmet wonderland. It could only have been improved by being Central Market in Adelaide, where one gets gourmet goodness plus chance encounters with friends.
I know I may have gone a little overboard on the exclamation marks, but they really do express the delight these things are when I experience them once more. I used to take them for granted and consider them normal, but not anymore. My Mum experienced this first hand when she let me loose in a supermarket with permission to put things in the shopping trolley that I’d missed… and I managed to fill the trolley. Thanks Mum!
• Family! It was good to have ordinary time with family, to just hang out and do normal things. This included Scrabble with Mum, cryptic crosswords with Dad, Lego with my godson, books, games, craft and tree climbing with nieces and nephews, family bbqs in the back yard, phone conversations with no delay… and more.• Friends! I know I only caught up with a few of you, but it was grand to be able to do so. I am blessed with many friendships that can pick up where they left off, even after building lives in different places.
• The Beach! Walking on the beach, eating fish and chips by the beach, swimming in the ocean, breathing deep of salt air. These are all things which I no longer take for granted.
• Cafes! Hot chocolate, iced coffee, cappuccino, flat white, gelato or rich and wonderful cakes… all just an order away. Time with my journal or time with family or friends. Sitting there while someone else serves you good food and good drink. Warrnambool has a collection of wonderful cafes, and I made it to all my favourites… at least once.
• Anonymity! To walk down the street and have no one watching. To walk down the street at night if I chose to and for it to be safe.
• Public Transport! Hopping on a tram or a train and having it run reliably and safely was a pleasure. When in Melbourne I kept catching the tram into town, because I could. I wasn’t really doing vast amounts of shopping, but I was finding excuses to indulge in public transport and anonymity and safety on the street.
• Stone fruits! Cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines… as much as I love my fresh tropical fruits, being home in stone fruit season was very yummy.• Smallgoods! Cheeses, olives, salami, interesting breads, dips, nuts, dried figs… such a range of affordable and yummy options. Walking around Queen Vic Markets was like walking around a gourmet wonderland. It could only have been improved by being Central Market in Adelaide, where one gets gourmet goodness plus chance encounters with friends.
I know I may have gone a little overboard on the exclamation marks, but they really do express the delight these things are when I experience them once more. I used to take them for granted and consider them normal, but not anymore. My Mum experienced this first hand when she let me loose in a supermarket with permission to put things in the shopping trolley that I’d missed… and I managed to fill the trolley. Thanks Mum!
