For autumn it is still very warm in Perth, today a balmy shiny 32 degrees. I am day 4 Covid isolation, sadly I came down with the dreaded lurgy last week. No doubt contracting it from my disease ridden school environment! Everyone has been keeling over from it around me, so it came as no surprise. Well it actually did as I had 5 negative rat tests, before finally getting a positive PCR days later. Moral of the story, don’t trust a rat!

For the most part I have been enjoying my forced isolation at home. It is a rare occasion that I can rest, and frankly I am just not that good at it. I am running around all over the place normally, in and out of the house entertaining myself one way or another. So it is kind of nice to draw a breath, take it easy and be forced to stay home. It has been just over 6 months since I have been home this time since my last big adventure teaching in Kununurra. Weirdly I don’t feel like rushing out on another adventure just yet. Maybe I am getting older? Maybe I am just a bit tired of moving so much and displacing myself, and maybe I just am enjoying being home in my own environment for a change. It’s nice here. I am loving my garden, it continues to bring me so much joy. Even though realistically I have maxed out gardening space, I am sure I could still jam in a few things in between gaps. Once I am out of iso I will be back at Bunnings, my favourite place for plants! I also have some painting plans up my sleeve too. Whether I get some paint delivered and crack on in the living room, or wait until I am out of iso and go and get the paint myself. I am being a bit boring and planning to paint my main space in vivid white, classic. I have lots of art on the walls, and lots of colour in my furnishings so it would be hard to know what colour to go with, always a conundrum! Best to keep it clean and crisp with a fresh white. Maybe a feature wall, in a hue of blue, we will see!

For the first few days of forced home boundedness, I have been mostly tanning in the garden, reading books and chatting to lots of friends. Time has passed pretty fast as it mostly does. I haven’t even binged anything on Netflix! Any good recommendations? I am in a phase of nothing to watch! Blah! 

My fitness has really gone out the window this year. Starting with some surgery at the start of the year, I was out of action for about 6 weeks there. And now with Covid, its taken another dive south. My symptoms were fairly typical, raging sore throat, glands up, tired, and feeling out of it. Eventually I will get back to some regular fitness routines again. So easy to let them slip. At one point in my life I was out and about running/walking every day, and I couldn’t miss a day. Bring those days back! My body and mind will thank me for it that is for sure. These days I exercise more for my mental health first, and then secondly for fitness. Some strength training would be really good too. One day I will get back to the gym. What is your fave exercise routines right now?

It feels like a strange time in history right now. Things for me personally have some what ground to a halt. It feels like I am in a sort of holding pattern. I actually feel quite overwhelmed by the number of opportunities presenting right now, so many that I do not know which way to turn. I am also processing mixed emotions, letting things go, allowing and enabling the current space and energy to move through me. I spend a lot of time in the past and project into the future too, which is not good. I feel the trauma of losing my parents still ripple through me fairly frequently, although much time has passed now. This year it will be 10 years and 8 years since I lost my Dad then Mum. That is a lot of time. I still miss them every day. And looking at my reality riding solo is still very much a challenge at times. Many people say you have to be comfortable in your own space/skin/situation. Sure, I am for the most part. It is easy to say that, but realistically, not many people can say that all their immediate family have been wiped out by cancer. I do have some extended family, but frankly they don’t keep in touch much. If I didn’t contact them I wonder how many months would go by without communication? Many! Sad but true! We all just live too far from each other. Luckily I have good friends who are like my family. It would be nice to find a partner who wants to stick around long enough to form a good relationship. What is that?? What does that even look like? I honestly don’t even know. I have not been blessed by healthy romantic relationships! I tend to hold onto unwilling participants longer than I should, rather I need to make space for fresh energy to come on in. You are welcome! It really is a numbers game, but quite exhausting dating all the time. But one will persist. Sometimes I think it is easier to just be on your own. This way I can come and go as I please, and do whatever I want. Which for the most part pleases me immensely. 

I think this afternoon I will do some painting, read in the garden, maybe mosaic a few more pavers? Really I have lots to do and absolutely nothing to do! Gladly I am feeling better, so I can do more than just lay around in bed. I could try and make a life plan… but that just feels overwhelming right now. And I really am not sure what to do. I could go live somewhere else like Europe or New Zealand? I could take a teaching job in the country? I could just stay here and get a cat? I could do all sorts of anything! Being obsessed with living an adventurous life is exhausting. If in doubt do nothing right? The right thing will come up, it always does. It is just a matter of time. I have been in these holding patterns before, and out of the blue everything changes again. That has been the pattern of life previously, so why would it be any different? Change! I welcome you! 

Because I have oodles of time, I am putting out a call out for a new letter writing buddy. Anyone out there far away would like to write letters with me? Only requirement is you need to be good at writing back!! Please message me if you are interested and we can PM our details. 

Hope all is well with you my mysterious loyal reader. Have a great Covid free day and be sure to get some sunshine wherever you are! And don’t be afraid of Covid, it’s not really that bad at all. I am living proof of it!

Anita xx

‘Don’t be afraid to live a big life, be afraid to live a dull one.’ ~ Me, just now.