Settled

It is hard to believe that in less than four weeks we’ll be in an RV in New Zealand. In winter!! It will be a break from chasing summer I suppose ;) I feel very settled now in southwest Australia. We have a life here, routines, joys, roots. There is so much beauty here. I feel increasingly connected to the region and the people and a society that feels familiar on the surface but does some things strikingly different, for the upside in my opinion. If you’re curious, read about Australian voting, salaries and gun laws, as just a few examples :)

We’ve started to watch the seasons change. So we’re actually chasing fall right now. Leaves and vines in the vineyards are turning golden yellow and red. Days are getting shorter. Luckily the ocean water temperature remains divine, no wetsuits required for morning swims. I think something about observing the cycles of life, nature, and moons from one place is very grounding. You feel connected to something bigger.

I continue to find more and more art. When I think I’ve seen every mural in Margaret River I find another. My latest find was a “Where the Wild Things Are” mural next to a Prince mural!! This is a juxtaposition that makes me swoon. Hazel couldn’t believe it. We were both over the moon. I asked her if she knew Prince. She said “Purple Rain?”. Wow. The van painting is inside a bus stop in Gracetown. Which is especially interesting because the only buses that come to Gracetown are school buses.

The Gracetown playground has ‘gems’, i.e. glass spheres, burrowed in the wooden whale. They glisten and sparkle in the sun. The carvings below are also in the playground. The degree of care and thoughtfulness that was put into this playground is so sweet. I would love to meet the builders and tell them.

We went for lunch in the bush the other day. Justin did a flurry of internet research and found all these amazing off the grid restaurants and picked one. What a treat. It was a stormy day. After lunch we drove out to a spot on the coast north of Gracetown. I know the map and coast so well now. Everywhere we go I imagine Will on his own walking down the coast for six days.

Routines also give you a sense of place. Loving our Gracetown routines: the morning swim, the after swim coffee, reading, homeschool, playground, Gracie’s general store, running, surfing, paddling, and the sunset stroll. Occasional drives into Margaret River for gym or sauna or yoga or groceries. I’ve got an extra bounce in my step after 3-days of antibiotics to kick a stomach bug to the curb. If I had to guess, I’ve been carrying those buggers since India. Not only were they zapping my gut but over time I think they were mild energy zappers too. Hindsight is 20/20. I should have seen a doctor a long time ago. I guess I thought lots of kale, beans and other vegetables would get my system back to high performance!! That’s the dark side of my optimism ;) Interestingly not only did the carpet bombs (antibiotics) kill those bad bugs (and good ones too) but my eyelid psoriasis (or whatever it is) cleared up almost instantly. It’s been nagging me for months. My gosh if our gut biome isn’t connected to every darn thing. So I’m once again becoming deeply committed to fermented foods and all the amazing gut-friendly food in our kitchen (thanks Justin!!). My wise friend Katie always says never settle for anything less than 100% health, i.e. chase down any and all health issues to resolution. With age, motherhood, careers, stress and life, our own health can slide into the backseat especially when it’s not something severe … and sometimes we settle. It took me a hot minute, but I didn’t settle!! Bye bye Bugs!! Hallelujah to Health!! And sunsets!!

And yes, that’s a new hoodie. I’ve wanted a hoodie since last October!! A slow burning desire that eventually led to a spontaneous purchase in the Gracetown general store. I literally wear it everyday. Hard to imagine life without it.