Tsunami warnings, cyclone warnings, torrential rain and gale force winds. Not quite what I was expecting from my time on the ‘Sunshine Coast’ of Queensland, but after 5 months of constant sunshine in Perth my complaints are likely to fall on deaf ears. However, things didn’t quite work out in Noosa (not just the weather I must stress) and I have reverted to the original plan of coming home at the end of March, with a few minor adjustments. My stay in Noosa was reduced to a mere two weeks and from there I headed south, to Surfers Paradise to stay with Leighton and co in their apartment. Surfers’ is a city situated right on the coast, with never-ending beaches and tall imposing buildings. It doesn’t take an expert to understand the reason it is called Surfers’ Paradise; the beach lifestyle combined with the rampant waves seals the ‘Ronseal effect’ (does exactly what it says on the tin).
It was great to meet up with Leighton and people he is staying with, two of whom I met in Sydney at New Year. In the few days that I’ve been here I have already been ‘guided’ around the cities’ nightlife, so to put it and had a really good time.
My quest to come home looking like I’d been to Australia and not Antarctica, however, is looking to be a fail. I’ve been able to seek remedy in the ‘Sun protection’ campaign on Australian television which boasts the slogan, ‘There’s nothing healthy about a sun tan,’ so taking that into consideration, it’s not all bad, though a hint of bronze wouldn’t go a miss.
I have mixed feelings about coming home; I have had such a great time in Australia and have learnt more in 6 months than I have in my previous 18 and a half years. Living away from home is also a mixed bag of pros and cons. The freedom is brilliant but is somewhat overshadowed by the blunt ‘your now in the real world’ factor. For example, if you don’t cook, you don’t eat. If you don’t do your washing, you wear dirty clothes and if you don’t clean up, you live in a pig sty. Simple. It proves that, however much they try to claim it, parents/carers are not superhuman and doing things for yourself isn’t that hard and even carries a very satisfying after taste.
Despite having an amazing time in Australia, meeting amazing people and receiving an education in life not available in even the best universities; I am looking forward to coming home, even if I am going to have to accept that I am not getting my bedroom back. It will be great to see my family and friends again and I’m sure that, in a way, the quicker I get back to reality, the better. I wouldn’t say I had suffered from homesickness very often, which has been good. But when it did strike, it was very draining and leaves you feeling a little helpless. It is a strange feeling, in my case I’d worked ridiculously hard over the English summer to fund my trip and was living the dream in a beautiful place. We all spend so much of our time and energy moaning about our life, or where we live or how much we want to get away from everything and I’m guilty as charged on this one. But of all the lessons I’ve learnt out here, one of the biggest and deepest ones is that, you can be in the most beautiful, desirable places on earth, doing everything you’ve ever wanted to do. But sometimes, all you need is all the things you’ve spent your whole life complaining about. It makes you appreciate what you’ve got as well as what you’ve got to come.
I’ve got university to look forward to in September and I’m sure 6 months away from home will have given me a good store of life skills to get me through. I am somehow going to have to rediscover ‘education mode,’ after all, £20,000 is a lot of money to spend, especially if you don’t come out with anything to show for it. Added to this the 3/ 4 years spent on a degree, you might as well get something out of it.
Minus the appendicitis episode, the trip has been amazing! Even that had a positive, its better I had it out in Perth rather than Weston general. After all, you’re likely to come out with more infections/illness than you went in with in the current NHS climate.
I’ve met some amazing people and had a great time. My highlight of the 6 months has to be Sydney at New Year. Spending time with mates from home, together with the fireworks and the general buzz that Sydney carries made it an awesome trip.
So, home sweet home on the 23rd and back to the glamour and gloss of the real world, with a completely different outlook on things. See you all soon.........xxx
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