I'm sitting on a mattress in the middle of my bedroom, surrounded by suitcases, boxes and deconstructed IKEA furniture, contemplating our next move.
We're moving to the Bush and once more I am heading into a harsh, dusty and unyielding landscape, inhospitable to human life and far away from civilisation.
I have a habit of doing this.
Of course the difference is that -- unlike living in RAK or Al Ain, which are not unlike the Pilbarra in terms of sand and rock -- in the bush I can't simply jump in the car, drive two hours down the road to buy some gold from a vending machine in a gilded palace, more's the pity. No, this will be like moving to a village in the Empty Quarter, a 16 hour drive from Perth, where my local shopping options are confined to an IGA supermarket.
I'm really not sure how I'm going to cope with a life that doesn't involve hours spent mindlessly wandering around shopping centres, waiting to be seduced by things I don't need and can't afford. Hitherto I have considered this to be a pass time, and the prospect of not being able to do it fills me with a fearful awe.
I'm also worried about whether there are any TV channels up there, or even a decent internet connection! If not, I may have to -- gasp -- get dressed and go out and speak to someone! I've forgotten how that works.
But the set-up was too good to turn down; DH has been offered an excellent job with -- and this was the deal maker -- free accommodation! No rental agreements to sign, no sniffy inspections, no sycophantic letters to prospective landlords, begging them to rent us their house. Hooray!
I'm going with a very positive attitude, this is a chance not to be missed. We're getting to live in a part of Australia which many Australians never even get to see, and best of all, the children can walk to school -- another deal maker right there.
I'm seeing the whole thing as an experiment; life stripped down to the bare bones of existence, centring on the simplest elements of home and family. I'm hoping to rediscover my old passion for cooking; to concentrate on writing something decent; and maybe even take up belly-dancing -- yes, there are classes! (This is hugely ironic since I tried several times to attend a class in the Middle East, but kept getting the times or days wrong - how strange it would be to learn to shimmy to the sound of an oud in the Outback?)
Our new home is to be in the small mining town of Paraburdoo, in the Pilbara region; a town so small that apparently each house has its own unique number. 'Paraburdoo' comes from the Aboriginal word for 'white cockatoo' which according to DH are to be seen everywhere in the town.
So, dear reader, next time I post I will have left the beautiful Perth hills behind me, and travelled fifteen hundred kilometres north, to embark upon the next chapter of this bizarre life I seem to have stumbled into. Wish me luck!
We're moving to the Bush and once more I am heading into a harsh, dusty and unyielding landscape, inhospitable to human life and far away from civilisation.
I have a habit of doing this.
Of course the difference is that -- unlike living in RAK or Al Ain, which are not unlike the Pilbarra in terms of sand and rock -- in the bush I can't simply jump in the car, drive two hours down the road to buy some gold from a vending machine in a gilded palace, more's the pity. No, this will be like moving to a village in the Empty Quarter, a 16 hour drive from Perth, where my local shopping options are confined to an IGA supermarket.
I'm really not sure how I'm going to cope with a life that doesn't involve hours spent mindlessly wandering around shopping centres, waiting to be seduced by things I don't need and can't afford. Hitherto I have considered this to be a pass time, and the prospect of not being able to do it fills me with a fearful awe.
I'm also worried about whether there are any TV channels up there, or even a decent internet connection! If not, I may have to -- gasp -- get dressed and go out and speak to someone! I've forgotten how that works.
But the set-up was too good to turn down; DH has been offered an excellent job with -- and this was the deal maker -- free accommodation! No rental agreements to sign, no sniffy inspections, no sycophantic letters to prospective landlords, begging them to rent us their house. Hooray!
I'm going with a very positive attitude, this is a chance not to be missed. We're getting to live in a part of Australia which many Australians never even get to see, and best of all, the children can walk to school -- another deal maker right there.
I'm seeing the whole thing as an experiment; life stripped down to the bare bones of existence, centring on the simplest elements of home and family. I'm hoping to rediscover my old passion for cooking; to concentrate on writing something decent; and maybe even take up belly-dancing -- yes, there are classes! (This is hugely ironic since I tried several times to attend a class in the Middle East, but kept getting the times or days wrong - how strange it would be to learn to shimmy to the sound of an oud in the Outback?)
Our new home is to be in the small mining town of Paraburdoo, in the Pilbara region; a town so small that apparently each house has its own unique number. 'Paraburdoo' comes from the Aboriginal word for 'white cockatoo' which according to DH are to be seen everywhere in the town.
So, dear reader, next time I post I will have left the beautiful Perth hills behind me, and travelled fifteen hundred kilometres north, to embark upon the next chapter of this bizarre life I seem to have stumbled into. Wish me luck!
Ahh....it's these kind of adventures, the ones with so many unknowns and that really pull us out of our comfort zones, which are the meat of LIFE. Choosing to focus on those positive aspects will make a huge difference in how it all plays out. Can't wait to hear how it all goes!
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