I haven’t written for some time, as many of you may be aware (if anyone is still reading this at all…). I have had a bit of a change recently. I changed jobs, which took me 800km away from Perth, in a beautiful, postcard-esque town called Esperance.
It is the first time I have lived away from Perth, and I must say it has taken some adjustment. I basically got offered a position as a social worker out of the blue, and had about 2 weeks to get all my stuff packed, Jason to give his notice, kiss everyone goodbye and head for Esperance.
And then, all of a sudden we were here, living 800 kilometres from home, still renting DVD’s, still watching Foxtel, still trying desperately to stick to the low carb diet, still going to work everyday — only amidst this backdrop of sheer paradise. Look at this picture — this is literally 5 minutes from my house. It is really, really strange. And really, really surreal.
And life goes on. My family ring me asking “so, how is it in Esperance?” and I don’t know what to say. I guess they want me to enthuse, or go into great detail about everything, but, at the end of the day, I guess I have already, in the space of six weeks, taken for granted the paradise I live in. It’s really hard not to just say “You know, same old, same old” to your family when they ask, but, really, that’s all it is. If you keep the same comforts, the same hobbies, and have your family around you, it’s amazing how we can be satisfied wherever we are.
Occasionally I think of the distance and feel like I have been punched in the stomach for a few seconds, but I guess that goes with the territory. Occasionally I wonder if I made the right move career-wise, but then I remember that its all part of my life experience.
I hope that I can share some good experiences through this blog here: I have just had a conversation with my “supervisor” about creative expression and my work, and whether I can write about my experiences down here. You’ll find some things shocking, i’ll tell you… I am here as much for my own philosophical learning experience as I am to make a living, so I would really like to express it.
But, we’ll see. Just thought I would check in and let everyone know that I am here, I am sane… I am just making sure I don’t get fired for writing things 😉