Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts

Thursday, 29 May 2014

Journey's in Light

After four months in England, I am now back in Australia and this time with a traveling companion/soul friend. We landed in Melbourne after a 27 hour flight and stayed a few lovely days there with another close friend of mine and their family. It is winter here and Melbourne was basically the same temperature as back home. We wanted the sunshine. So of course we found a dream place near the Whitsunday islands and sent an email thinking they would be booked up and we'd have to join a waiting list or something but the next morning we received an email confirming availability to start that coming Monday.. only three days later! We phoned up and immediately built good rapport. This was actually happening! Surrounded by rainforest and with the most stunning view from the balcony of the ocean, this place was a boutique resort equipped with a Roman style indoor pool, pool table, spa bath and private apartment for us. The work was easy as only two rooms were being used for guests. I did some jungle gardening and neatened the pathway up. The couple who ran it were so grateful and positive even leaving us in charge of the whole place for a few days and giving us full use of their Jeep. The trust they had was truly refreshing.

So we stayed there in this paradise for a couple of weeks spending most of our time at the beach soaking up the rays. But something was missing. We were in this luxury and yet there was an empty feeling at times. Most people at the beach had been up partying solid and now were hungover on the sand and with little or no interest in connecting. The connecting happened on the dance floor, after several drinks but that kind of thing didn't appeal to either of us. That kinda thing seems almost futile now. Dancing with friends will always be awesome but the surroundings are important. The ambiance matters. A room of sweating, hormone raging, sexually charged, shallowness is perhaps the traveling dream for some but wasn't the experience we wanted. That's not to say anything is wrong with that and there has been many times in the past where that experience was no brainer. An obvious break from mundane reality. A distraction from the empty feelings that pervade the mind, the loneliness, the regret, the helplessness. The dream of youth.
But that reality is deconstructing and a new sense of aliveness unfurls every day. The diamond once coated in dark muck is slowly peeking through and light shines through the darkness. Helplessness is outwitted by a strong sense of Trust. Loneliness is outshone by a feeling of complete Connectedness. Regret then transforms as Gratefulness unlocks the fullness of life, as reality shifts into High Definition. It is these three things that are key to my journey thus far.

Just being in the sun lifts me up. Just looking to the sky and smiling in awe shifts attention to the beauty of the moment. Moving away from distractions that keep my attention fixed on things that don't serve me, that don't honour who-I-really-am. Respecting totally the variety and contrast that exists in the world and not having to be right all-of-the-time. Moving into a sense of allowing, of no judgement is the goal. Becoming aware of ingrained reactions as they happen and then changing the way I look at the thing I'm reacting to. Being honest and expressing how I feel. Listening.

Not taking things personally and not making assumptions. My God these two things are the root of all drama!

Anyway, we then went on a road trip down the coast and are now staying near Byron at a place called Golden Beach. The sound of the waves lulls us to sleep and in only a few minutes walking we are on the most beautiful beach. White squeaking sand, big waves, blue skies and the nourishing sunlight. Living here makes it so obvious to me that I won't live in England. The whole collective energy here is so much lighter and brighter. Moving away from the dark suppressive angst gives new perspectives, new opportunities and reinforces a sense of magic, a feeling of joy and well-being, a feeling of purpose of Divine design and most of all the knowing that there is so much more than one could ever imagine.

I write this because I choose to express how I feel and make it public record because looking back at this blog I see how far I have journeyed. So here it is. Just for the record.

Friday, 6 September 2013

Regional Work & Sydney

So I have completed my 88 days of required Regional work in order to attain my 2nd Working Holiday Visa for Australia and I am now residing in Sydney, working in a little cafe called The Porch in a nearby suburb.

So I suppose I should start where I last left off. Adelaide:

My stay in Adelaide was interesting and such fun. I stayed in a vegan household up in Eden Hills and it was there I met some more rather wonderful people and engaged in numerous meditations, and yoga sessions. So it was what I now see as a much needed detox: Physically, emotionally and spiritually. After 2 wonderful weeks there it was time to start my Regional work and I had already emailed a farm near Byron where my sister had attained hers. It all seemed go, go, go when the day before I flew to the Gold Coast I received an email from them detailing that they were currently FULL.
So I researched like crazy till way after midnight and found a nice looking place near Mount Tamborine. Sent email and went to bed. Woke up with a reply of acceptance and jumped on the plane. Was picked up by the owner and for 23 days I worked on this commercial flower farm in the gorgeous rainforest surrounding Tamborine. It was there also that I made more wonderful friends and even had my own room with double bed & flat screen TV!

It was at the pub one night that I received an email from the original farm saying they now had room for me and so I packed up and bussed into a small rural town called Murwillumbah.
It was there I was picked up and introduced to the Hare Krishna farm and all 50 of the other travellers WWOOFing there. What a magnificent place! So many incredible memories and absolutely exquisite food. If I were to detail everything that went on there in the following 2 months I fear this post would be rather astronomically long and so I will cut to the chase by saying after being granted my 2nd year visa I hitched to Coffs harbour where I was offered to spend the night at this couples house on thieR couch. Their place was idyllic and we went on a rainforest walk, saw a platypus, drank crystal clear blue water from a flowing waterfall and ate home-made soup. The next day I hitched on, stopping in Bellingen briefly and then getting a ride all the way to Sydney where I had arranged to do Helpx in an apartment.

So I have now been in Sydney for almost a week, have a job in a cafe just 2 minutes walk from the apartment and I plan to stay here a good while to save up for coming home at Christmas.

Well, I must be off as the cafe has a Grand Opening Night tonight and the press will be there at 6pm

Love & Hugs

Monsieur Smile

XOXO

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

On The Road...


Oh how long its been and how much has happened!

I left Perth on Saturday and got the train to Armadale with the intention of hitting the Albany highway to hitch somewhere, anywhere! After a long train journey and a lovely flurry of texts with my sister and a delve into the book she gave me, I arrived and lugged my 3 bags out of the station. One guy saw me looking at my phone is exasperation as it's GPS was playing up and asked me where I wanted to go. He pointed me the right way and I set off in the heat. Already sweating! After ten minutes of walking I arrived at the hitching spot and parked my gear. Literally after 2 minutes someone pulled over and told me he was driving to this restaurant he owned near Wagin in a small town called Dumbleyung. Naturally I enquired about a job and – after 2 months of strenuous job hunting – he mentioned a part time position in his restaurant/hotel as washer up. Food and accom included for about 2 hours work a day! Things really fell into place and after starting this book I was becoming more and more spiritually aware and open. The universe was thanking me. Telling me I was on the right path.

So after 3 hours of driving (and almost overheating the engine) we arrived at this cute little place in the middle of nowhere. Perfect, after a city overdose!

There were a few complications as some weren't too keen on such spontaneity but he was the boss, the manager afterall so he had the final word. I am now typing in my room. A beautiful, cosy room near the balcony. I am so thrilled and at peace with everything. I am ready now.