All wheels lead to home …

Somewhere between Carnarvon and Geraldton, Western Australia

We left early morning, laughed and agreed, a greasy breakfast is how we would start the day.  We stop at the truck stop, bought a toasted egg and bacon sandwich and coffee, and headed out, the day already warm.  At my feet, icy cold Pepsi and frozen grapes, because we knew, the day was only going to get warmer.  The road trip took 5.5 hours of steady driving.  The landscape, pretty amazing.  The foliage changes frequently.  The earth changes from red to blush pink, to butter yellow.  We take turns in describing our perspective.  The colours hold us spellbound.  There are goats roadside just about for the whole journey.  They are smart!  One never has to be concerned about them running across the road; they run away from traffic.

We chat, share anecdotes, laugh, plan our respective futures.  Twenty years younger than me, I have enormous respect for my colleague.  She is wise beyond her years.  I learn from her each time we work together.  The hours drift and we arrive in Geraldton, safe.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the road this year.  It has spurned me into thinking of other possibilities.  It is the first time in my 20+ years of travel, I’ve started to think about new directions.

My children are living their own lives now.  My daughter and her partner just returned from a big holiday in the US, that included a Caribbean cruise with his parents.  Last night my son and his wife left for a belated honeymoon to Japan.  They have well and truly flown the coop.  My role in their lives has changed.  I am now mum who they check in on to see how I’m doing.  When did this shift take place?

As the year comes to an end, I’ve found myself looking at real estate, looking for my forever home.  It will be small and somewhere between beach and bush in the South-West.  Importantly, my adult children no longer protest when I talk about leaving the city.  It makes it easier for me to leave.

It is now my time to dream.  It’s a good place to be.

Until next time

As always

a dawn bird