Thank you for the music

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8 weeks in Australia. Snap. Just like that. I’m back at the airport in Melbourne waiting for my flight that will take me back to Europe. This time without travel partner. Mick has 3 more weeks in this magnificent country before he gets back. I’m happy for him. Me on the other hand will be back with my (other) family in my home country in about 40 hours. Also beautiful, just a bit smaller and a slightly change in temperature (only 35 degrees colder).

My last weekend in Oz we (when I say me I mean Mick) decided to spoil us with a night in a hotel in central Melbourne. We spent Saturday evening strolling around the city, listening to street musicians, drinking in funky bars and had an absolute gorgeous meal in a Thai restaurant in one of the best (according to me) neighbourhoods of Melbourne. Brunswick Street in Fitzroy in a must if you are visiting. The coolest people, the best vintage shops and groovy bars with hip music. AND restaurants with food from all over the world. Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Greek, Afghan… we even found a Danish ice cream shop.

After a good night sleep in our cute mini apartment Mick got up early to watch his brother and brother in law doing a triathlon. 6 a clock is way to early for me and I was to happy (and lazy) to get out of the comfy king size bed and slept in until 10 am. After a little bit of a grumpy waking-up-mood from my side Mick picked me up and we continued to the famous and massive Victoria Market. We spent one hour waling around the stalls, bought some souvenirs and then decided that we would spend the rest of the day at the beach and drove down the east coastline of the bay. For me it was the last day in the sun and I needed every little warm and sunny second that I could get before going back to the winter in Europe. We had once again another beautiful sunny day driving along the coast all the way down to Sorrento and back. Stopping where we wanted to, had lunch at the beach and went for a swim in the clearest water.

It’s a very friendly country, Australia. Warm, green, happy and it has a lot of potential. The multi cultural society makes many people feel like home. I have only been here for 2 months that is not a long time and everything that I have seen has gives me a very positive look at this continent. Although I know that even Australia has a dark side and things that might not be right. I have read a little bit about the history of the country and about the people that was here before the white man. The people that lived of the land and got beaten up and tortured, in their own home, by warriors that declared this new continent (that they have “found”) to belong to them. I’m talking about the Aboriginals, the real Australians that have lived in Australia for more than 60 000 years. It’s a sad story and what makes it even worse is that the processes of accepting the aboriginals have been very slow (they only got the right to vote in 1967) and that they are still a second-class people in their own country.

Sometimes I get angry at the world or at people in general. We live in a money-oriented society where we find our happiness in materialistic things that we actually would survive without. But I have realised that there is no need for anger or frustration. At least don’t let those feelings take over and take to much place in our minds. We better love more, show more compassion and understanding and teach others to do the same. I am not saying I’m going to save the world or create peace in every corner but sometimes it’s good to take two steps back and observe how we live our lives and what really makes us happy. Be critical, be realistic and be in control of your own life. Just because we live in a society where we have a “safe” life with our own rights don’t forget that there are people that don’t. Like the forgotten people in Australia or the people that live on the street just around the corner to where you live. It doesn’t really matter where or in what condition. Just think an extra time before you complain about your own life and how miserable it is because you don’t have the latest IPhone. I’m not saying that I never complain, have miserable days or that I’m walking around being grateful all the time. I’m not a saint, nor are you. But sometimes I do think it’s good to take a step back and realise how lucky we are.

Thank you Oz for this time. I will be back. <3

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