Looking ahead makes me happy

I'm feeling those northerly winds a-blowin.....

I have noticed my increasing tendency of casually investigating Spanish job search sites, and opening and scrutinising the emails promoting volunteering in Argentina that fill my inbox.

Yes and so returns that monkey on my back, the niggling longing to escape, the search for broader horizons. Instead I'll travel to nearby destinations. Maybe a weekend trip to Katherine Gorge or a drive to a remote community.

Time to throw myself into work again. Time to plan for the future, for 2009. Time to make goals, budgets, and to-do lists.

Looking ahead makes me happy.

1. Go bush walking
2. Write on streeteditors more
3. sell my writing/ get further pieces published
4. Take Spanish lessons
5. Run and yoga regularly
6. Get out bush once a fortnight
7. Give blood
8. Buy bike
9. Ride bike plenty
10. Save $
11. Do walks in Katherine Gorge
12. Visit Uluru
13. Try camping
14. Buy all vegies from local markets not Woollies
15. Spend more time drawing
16. Grow tomatoes
17. Nurture my garden
18. Spoil Dad on his 60th
19. Eat more raw foods
20. Think about buying a dog
21. Call family and friends more
22. Make coffee at home
23. Buy a typewriter
24. Play more tennis (maybe a set night a week)
25. Do more stuff that scares me
26. Reactivate volunteer xchange
27. Seek future opportunities in BCN and Argentina
28. Join the library
29. Write in my diary more

Visits from special southerners

It is the day after my two special visitors have left and I'm a tad forlorn.

Sister E was here for a week which was glorious; we went bike riding, took the croc to Litchfield, ate at restaurants, floated languidly in a pool and celebrated the new year together. We caught up on milestones, as well as the little stuff that you miss out on when living in different parts of the country.

J arrived at 12.30am on New Year's Eve. We picked her up after the party, retreated to my place with a bottle of champagne tucked under my arm, and talked into the night. We had lazy mornings drinking coffee and eating fruit and croissants. We realised J's dream to sit in a waterhole on NY day, and spent a blissful afternoon at Buley's Rockhole. We patronised the iconic Ski Club in between downpours. We sat in air-conditioned comfort to watch the Tiwi Bombers annihilate Southern Districts.

We sat on the wharf basking in the sunset light and eating fish and chips. We experienced an important part of the Top End's history through 'Australia'.

I remembered what a glorious place the Territory is.