A sleepless night. The neighbors under my apartment made sure that I couldn’t shut my eyes, almost until morning. Peaceful nights in Brisbane were actually rare. Roadwork. The construction of a new sidewalk. The fixing up of the park right underneath the apartment building. Everything I had hoped that would provide me with peace was keeping me up in this large Australian village.
The very last night in my bed. In a place where I had my privacy. Where I always found my space for peace, despite the earplugs. Sleep-deprived, but still lusting after new horizons in the blue sea, I get up and order a ride. Ola. A loyal friend in the cities. Cheaper than Uber. An Austrian picks me up. Usually, someone from India picks you up by the entrance. Someone who barely speaks English. This time, a neighbor is taking me to the ferry. Being happy to have found his peace in faraway Australia.
An hour and a half drive to Moreton Island. Of course, I decide to spontaneously visit the island during school holidays. What else. The more I try to find isolation and peaceful places, the more I’m surrounded by playful children, who remind me how much life each one of us holds within ourselves.
No, I still don’t feel homesick.
But I realize more and more what I have back home.
I’m moving away from the port. I step onto the sunlit deck and watch the blue ocean. Giant jellyfish swim all around us. They’re blue. The ones that hurt the most if they sting you. At least I think so. There are a lot of them. I’m chatting on the phone with a friend from Slovenia. They remind me why we love swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, where not as many dangerous animals lurk. No, I still don’t feel homesick. But I realize more and more what I have back home. Nature, carefully guarded by our land, is priceless. Unsurpassable. So easily accessible. I’m not in a rush to get home. By no means. But I am aware and I can’t wait to visit all the places I’ve never been to before.
I look around. Far in the distance, a silhouette of a tropical city appears. ‘Country city, a town on steroids’ is the description I like best. Fast-developing Brisbane, which offers a lot. Like all other large cities, I like this faraway view best.
There are 15 ships on shore. There are definetly special stories written in them.
Where I will create new memories.
White dunes are slowly becoming visible in the distance. They look like sand hills, overgrown with desert plants. Surrounded by turquoise water. The ocean. Which hides wrecks in its depths. 15 boats on the shore. They probably hold special stories. It’s time for me to leave the ferry. I take off my flip-flops. And go to the camp, which is four hours away, on foot. Where I’ll be making new memories. Wise. Full of freedom. And the freshness of the vast ocean.
If you are interested in more about the dream island…
