Moving Forward....

For a few weeks now I’ve been casting around, trying to define what I would like this space to become for me. I’m a little uncomfortable and unsure of where to begin. So I’ve decided that authenticity is the best place to start! Trying to articulate who I am and where I’m at in my life’s narrative, I hope, will be useful for me to reflect upon down the track and will act as an introduction to anyone who arrives in this space out of the ether!

My identity, as I arrived in my third decade earth side, I realise is quite a fluid, dynamic construct. Whilst culturally I acknowledge my anglo-saxon, Christian roots, I am on a journey of discovery where I come across, at each turn, an awareness of the dichotomy between spirituality and science, modern and post-modern thought and the very essence of what it ‘true’ and ‘right’. I’m a mother of 2 little boys who evoke such love in my being that I frequently feel like I’m going to break in two! I’m the lover of one man with whom I’ve shared the last 12 years of my life. Professionally, spent my 20s chasing aircraft (and more accurately, the passengers of those aircraft!) for a large commercial airline, passing that in for life with my boys and achieving a degree in social work, which I’ve almost realised!  My 30s have found me ensconced on a beautiful mountain in South East Queensland surrounded by the most amazing women from whom I have learnt the art of mothering. My days are spent nurturing my boys as they grow and flourish at a most alarming rate!

Recently, my journey researching progressive education for our boys and the subsequent undertaking of starting a community school, has had an unexpected impact on our family life. We now find ourselves seriously contemplating the direction of our existence.  More specifically, how we consolidate the intentional nature with which we try to live, and which we wish to impart to our children, with servicing a substantial mortgage on our middle-class income.  This is where we find ourselves, looking, dreaming, considering ‘other’ ways of living. At this point ‘other’ could loosely be described as ‘more sustainable’ – socially, financially and environmentally.  How do we do this? I’m not sure, but I’m working on it and will, surely, use this space to mull it over!

Next week will see us boarding a plane to the ‘apple isle’ of Australia – namely Tasmania – waaaaay down there in the south. Our little family of Queenslanders, born and bred, are packing every item of warm clothing we own to explore this little utopia of artesian cheese makers, organic produce markets and, of course, cold-climate pinot noir for 2-and-a-half glorious weeks!

This is where the story begins – so tune in for our Tasmanian Odyssey!