restless me

As my travels come to a close, I’m reminded of my very favorite poem, The Double Life by Don Blanding.

How very simple life would be

If only there were two of me

A Restless Me to drift and roam

A Quiet Me to stay at home.

A Searching One to find his fill

Of varied skies and newfound thrill

While sane and homely things are done

By the domestic Other One.

And that's just where the trouble lies;

There is a Restless Me that cries

For chancy risks and changing scene,

For arctic blue and tropic green,

For deserts with their mystic spell,

For lusty fun and raising Hell,

But shackled to that Restless Me

My Other Self rebelliously

Resists the frantic urge to move.

It seeks the old familiar groove

That habits make. It finds content

With hearth and home — dear prisonment,

With candlelight and well-loved books

And treasured loot in dusty nooks,

With puttering and garden things

And dreaming while a cricket sings

And all the while the Restless One

Insists on more exciting fun,

It wants to go with every tide,

No matter where…just for the ride.

Like yowling cats the two selves brawl

Until I have no peace at all.

One eye turns to the forward track,

The other eye looks sadly back.

I'm getting wall-eyed from the strain,

(It's tough to have an idle brain)

But One says "Stay" and One says "Go"

And One says "Yes," and One says "No,"

And One Self wants a home and wife

And One Self craves the drifter's life.

The Restless Fellow always wins

I wish my folks had made me twins.

I think this poem is a perfect match for me…well other than wanting a wife, obviously. It reminds me of this journal entry I made when I was 19:

“Oh How I Ramble: I am what some might call a dreamer…looking past reason and wanting it all and more. How can I have it all though? Can someone have both a life of adventure and also a sensible life of settling down with a career and family…maybe? no? uncertainty? So which do I choose? Choose an unpredictable path? With twists and turns? Steering away from the ordinary and mundane? Or do I choose the typical path?…a seemingly pleasant future of marriage, children, etc? time will tell which is best for me I suppose. At times I feel as though I’m rushing through life by always trying to reach the next step….the right step. So now I will embark on my future at present. I feel as though I am blindly stepping toward what may come. Reaching out, but not finding anything to hold onto…what will come? Will I choose the safe route or will I dare to step into the unknown? Uncertainty is somewhat enticing…”

It’s seven years later, and I’m still torn between a life of adventure and a life of comfort. I’m still struggling between the lives of the “Restless Me” and the “Quiet Me”.

South Carolina was not at all what I expected, I would say that overall it was a good experience. I tried new things, dove back into work, and got to see another part of the US. That's the positive spin on it at least.

Really, SC is lovely. The ocean, the forest, the river, ah the beauty, but work was just unbelievably overwhelming. Someone used the phrase "therapy sweatshop." I think that about sums it up. Overworked. I must say though, working in that place maximized my appreciation for previous employers (including my summer job of hauling rocks). I’ve always wondered what travel therapy would be like so I‘m very thankful for this experience. In theory, it’s ideal. The company pays for travel expenses and housing, and the therapist in return fulfills a 13 wk contract. In reality it was not ideal, but perhaps at a different facility it wouldn’t be as bad. I’ll let my fellow travelers make that decision though. I’ve decided to take my job back at good ol’ S-&-Dub. Reminds me of the Cheers theme song.

Although I was consumed with work I did make time for some F-U-N. Over the summer I…

lived 5 minutes from the beach

Lolapalooza’d in Chicago

parasailed

kayaked a bunch

went crabbing

went off-shore fishing

enjoyed many nights of live music and dancing

embarked on a 23 hr road trip…twice

and met some delightful people and made new friends

I was hoping to venture out of the country again before 2011 but due to unexpected expenses, that’ll have to wait for just a bit. I’ll keep on saving for my next big adventure though! And of course I’m always accepting travel donations :)

I do love being back in Texas though…where “the stars at night are big and bright” clap clap clap clap. Good people. Good friends. Endless possibilities for things to do. And it was 80 degrees on Halloween!! Where else can you find that? So I think I’ll sit and stay a while…at least until I get itchy feet again.

chapter next

As all good things do, this very magical trip has come to an end. Limited funds is the main reason. I honestly could have stayed in New Zealand forever. Who knows…maybe I’ll return one day to stay and grow old.

So I headed back on that long 20 hr flight to Texas for my dad’s bday. My parents had no clue I was coming home. I surprised them at a restaurant in Austin. I popped out of the bathroom after they ordered drinks. It was such an extaordinary day. We all laughed and some cried (Daddy). 'twas a good homecoming.

(my dad at the frio. he fell asleep in the truck)

(my dad as a youngster. always a clown :)  )

After that, I hit the ground running. I worked 2-3 days a week at good ol’ Scott and White, and the rest of the time I played! I went to the Frio, the Guadalupe, Lake Travis, went to country music concerts, saw Passion Pit, went country dancing, went camping, and visited family and old friends. So so good. Texas’s summertime is fantastic, and I only got a little taste. I can’t believe I’ve decided to switch states during the season I love Texas the most. The familiar has been so nice after months of new.

I will miss living outside of my own culture though. Experiencing life overseas was truly a wonderful, eye opening experience. The US is great, but there is so much to see out there. This world is of many faces and ideals. Truly amazing. So much good to see and so many people to meet. It’s overwhelming at times. I just want to see and do and feel and breath it all in and never look back….but alas, I must return to this career. Don’t get me wrong I love OT. I’ve chosen an amazing and rewarding career, but this gypsy soul of mine fights against the 8 - 5:00. I’ve got to figure out how to combine the two, and keep a life of balance I suppose. The yin and yang of it all. I’ll spend my next few months thinking of a solution while saving up some dough for my next big adventure. I’ve got a serious travel bug, and now’s the time to embrace it.

So now I’ve traveled across the US to South Carolina where I‘ve taken a 13 week travel assignment at a rehab in Murrels Inlet. South Carolina is beautiful so far. My drive was on a highway lined with tall tall trees passing over the occasional river. Green green green! It’s nice to get to check out another part of the country. They’ve housed me at a country club in Pawley’s Island. My backyard’s a golf course and my front yard has a pool in it. There is a lovely sandy beach just 5 minutes down the road. I’m a lucky girl to have this all planned out and handed to me. The travel company really got me a nice deal. I have an open door policy if anyone wants to visit. Just give me a shout!

(my backyard)

Bonnie, Clyde, sunshine, beach, and Ray Lamontagne = perfect day. My heart is full.

 

 

 

 
 
 

Kia Ora!

The South Island of New Zealand was just a big mess of crazy fun! We went for day long walks, climbed random inanimate objects, danced along the water’s edge to Moon River, went rock climbing and gondola riding, gave someone a mohawk, danced till the wee hours of the morning, and had Fergburgers! MmmmMmmm. What a trip! !

Good just keeps getting better!

 

Now I’m in the North Island heading towards Auckland. The North Island is much more populated and not quite as scenic as the South Island, but it's still beautiful.

At the moment I’m in Rotorua which has hot springs and mud pools and smells like rotten eggs. ick! Cool town though.

I went to a cultural event this evening that explored New Zealand’s indigenous people the Mouri and their history and culture. Very interesting!

"Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back."

Arthur Rubinstein

 

 

the kiwi way

I can’t even begin to describe the things I’ve seen and done since arriving in New Zealand. I can definitely see myself living here! It’s unbelievable.

I went swimming with seals in Kaikoura. The water was freezing cold, but we had some stylish wetsuits to wear so I was only a little slushy-like instead of frozen solid. There were so many seals, and they were so cute and playful.

We stopped on the side of the road the next day to go on a random trail and came upon this waterfall. There were like 30 seal pups playing in the waterfall. Seals are quickly becoming my favorite animal...except for Clyde.

I went horseback riding in Westport. I haven’t ridden a horse since elementary school so I was a bit rusty. We went through a river, and my horse actually swam underneath me. So cool!

Themed pajama party!

I spent the whole day yesterday climbing Frans Josef Glacier. What an amazing experience!!

I went on a kayaking trip around Lake Mapourika. It was unreal. It’s a black water lake so the it has mirror-like effect. At times it was hard to figure out if where the reflection in the water ended and the grass and trees actually began.

And the sunset was breathtaking

I absolutely love it here. It’s truly heaven on Earth!

Sydney!

Sydney is such an exciting city. The hustle and bustle of it all reminds my of New York. I’m staying in a great location near Hyde Park. First day I went to the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House and saw part of a ballet rehearsal! I also took the ferry out to Manly Beach. The view from the ferry was absolutely AMAZING!!

Manly was a cool place too. It was a bit too cold to jump in the water sans wetsuit so I just watched surfers and walked along the beach.

We got caught in the rain yesterday in the Botanical Gardens and climbed up in the rocks for shelter.

This was my view.

Great place to be stuck in the rain, aye?!

After we went to the Chinatown, the Chinese Gardens, Paddy’s Market, and just explored the city.

Here are some of the white water rafting pics from Cairns. SOOOO much fun!