Around the World and Back: April 2013

A few weeks ago I started to write a post about our trip to Tasmania (or more specifically, my misfortune leading up to the trip). But because it was a little too sarcastic and detailed, I deleted it. Being away from work and most social contact for 6 weeks did not find me in the best psychological state. Now that the type of prospective that only time (and physical healing) can bring has set in, I'd like to start again.

Allow me share the revised, concise version of the lead-up to Tasmania: I had a bicycle accident. A car door opened onto me as I was riding on a busy street and as a result I was thrown off the bike and landed my arm. I got scratched up and my bike is dead (RIP!). There's a long, complicated saga following this event which I have edited out of this post for your sanity... So let's just stick to this: I had 1-3 fractures in various parts of my arm (add another chapter into the book of 'My Life with Doctors Who Can't Possibly Have Real Credentials' (sub-title: 'Am I Being Punked?')). To this day I am still fairly unsure of the original diagnosis of my injuries, but my left arm (from elbow to hand) was broken in some way, and I've been unable to return to work as a waitress.

The silver lining: Australia has this AMAZING insurance company called TAC which has granted me the most unbelievable assistance. Not only do they cover many of my medical bills, but they've given me partial wage compensation and have set me up with an occupational physiotherapist to help me get back to work. All this as a non-resident of this country and without involvements with the man who hit me (well, I do have some business to take care of there but I'm ignoring that for now...).

After getting things a bit more squared away and with the healing of my injuries, I've come back to the more positive side of life and am trying to enjoy, plan, and keep motivated in my life here. I meet with the O.P. on Wednesday and will probably be returning to work shortly thereafter, so I'll have a bit more structure in my life again, which I've learned is extremely important to my day-to-day happiness. Ok, enough with the boring stuff... Tasmania!

We spent the first two nights in another amazing airbnb apartment, right in downtown Hobart. Our hosts were warm and generous, and their apartment was so, so sweet. While in Hobart I had some arm stuff to take care of, so one day was mostly taken up in the hospital. Afterwards I needed to visit the whiskey distillery where I forgot all about my injuries. :) We made a delicious dinner and chatted with our hosts about how wonderful Tasmania is.

The next day we rented a car and drove down to Murdunna to our next airbnb location, which was a dreamy beach-cottage/cabin with a lot of land and plenty of marsupials running around in the yard. In case you haven't taken my advice yet, please please PLEASE use airbnb.com for your next vacation so you can experience the magic for yourself. For far cheaper than a hotel, we had a room in the cottage, full access to the house (complete with breathtaking water views), an art gallery/reading room in the woods to relax in, and a lovely host who set up a spread of locally produced breakfast foods for us each morning. After arriving and getting settled in, we drove down to The Coal Mines Historic Site to see the ruins at sunset. This was the first of two components of Port Arthur, a world heritage site that is a former penal colony.

The grounds at Port Arthur were so stunning and tragic, and the tour there was definitely a highlight of the trip. We walked all around the grounds and got to take a ferry and walk onto the 'Isle of the Dead' which is a cemetery island where up to 2000 prisoners are buried. I enjoyed this moving part of the tour very much, as our guide walked us around and told stories of some special individuals who were buried there. The whole experience was really somber and thought-provoking; I think it's a must-do for any Tasmania trip.

After a reluctant departure from Naomi's haven, we headed back to Hobart for 2 nights. On Saturday we ventured out to the Salamanca market, a massive 300-stall street market. It was a treasure trove of goodies, produce, arts and crafts, and clothing, but we had to rush slightly to catch our ferry to MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). I was excited about another little market happening outside MONA on the lawn that day, but it was a torrential rain storm that day so we didn't get to enjoy the lawn from the bean bag chairs. The museum was really cool; a little something for everyone and just the right size (for me, that is).

The next day was spent mostly bumming around Hobart, finding special little cubbyholes to relax in in the charming Battery Point district. We had planned a bunch of hiking for the trip but unfortunately I wasn't too up for it after the bike accident. I really regret not pushing through some of the soreness because Tassy is likened to New Zealand when it comes to hiking and beauty.... But here's hoping we'll make it back someday! We ended up driving (instead of hiking) up Mount Wellington and nearly blowing away up there! Such stunning views through the fog.

We also visited the Farmgate farmers market in Hobart which left a little longing ache in my heart to relocate to Tasmania... All throughout the trip we had felt much more relaxed and in our element (I know that's kind of a vacation mentality but it was more than that). Size-wise and nature-wise Brian and I felt more at home there than we do in Melbourne, and the idea of living there seemed a bit more romantic. We actually tossed around the idea of moving there but ultimately felt like looking for jobs and trying to settle in again might be more trouble than it's worth. But the farmers market was so comforting to me; Tasmania has some amazing produce and many people there seem to embrace that island mentality that can be so intoxicating. Ultimately I know that's a quality we're more aligned with but in the meantime we can enjoy Melbourne for the short term. :)

Other activities of note included celebrating St. Patty's day in an Irish pub on our last night, eating multiple meals at a really good Indian restaurant, and sharing a bathroom with my second huntsman spider. All in all, a great trip!

As for the rest of life, things have been EXTREMELY uneventful for me. But there have been some random fun things happening here and there, like a visit from our friend Caitlin, a dinner party, a wonderful surprise party my dear Brian threw to lift my spirits, and a soul-cleansing trip to Fairhaven, on the Great Ocean Road. Life is good. Here are pics of the last few months, hugs & kisses to you all!!