Yesterday, in a trip that reminded me of my 2010 Greyhound
bus journey from New York City to New Orleans, I caught a bus from Adelaide to
Melbourne. During the twelve hour trip we made several stops at small country
towns and regional cities to drop off or pick up new passengers. One such stop
was at the Victorian town of Nhill. There we had just 30 minutes to grab a
quick bite at a local café or to hit the public restrooms at the tourist
office.
I popped into Annaliesa’s Café at 24 Victoria Street, Nhill,
for something to eat, and was delighted to discover numerous signs with a
positive focus (see image), decorating
the walls of the café.
Another of the messages read: “If your dreams don’t scare you, they are too small.”
Since I am planning to undertake some extended travelling again
this year, I took both the above ‘messages’, and several others, as good omens
for the year ahead. In fact, my new year begins with three weeks house sitting
for friends in Melbourne – a role I have undertaken for the past three of four
years. In May I will be in Greece for an extended stay, and with luck and good
planning I hope to be back in New York City during July or August. If my trip
to New York does not take place, I will head to France and England instead.
While I can’t claim that any of these journeys are large
enough to scare me, I am well aware that at 65 years of age there are plenty of
reasons to be cautious and careful. Anytime one spends up to six months away
from home, you are forced to consider a wide range of scenarios that you
probably take for granted if you stay close to home. The possibility of
accidents while travelling is always a concern, and as a solo traveller, I am well
aware that the responsibility for all my travel arrangements and for the
decisions I make while I am away are all mine and nobody else’s.
Never the less, I am up for the challenge, and I hope my
journeying this year will be as much fun, and as incident free as my last three
extended trips in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
I hope yours are too.
