My life’s greatest love affair

I’m nearly packed, just fitting as much as I can into my bags now. I’m seated at the cabinets against the wall in the living area. The sliding doors on the front-facing wall are open and the morning breeze is coming through. I can see bright blue skies behind the trees that are gently swaying in the breeze.

It’s the kind of weather that makes you miss a place before you’ve even left.

That’s where I’m at today and for the last 20 days of being in Australia. I love this place so much it hurts. It’s so nice here and it’s been a really grounding experience for me. I love it and what it has given me.

But as I told my therapist, it feels like I’m breaking up with a really good guy. The kind of guy that offers everything you’re looking for but it’s just not quite right.

There’s no chemistry. “It’s not you, it’s me.”

Like, damn Australia, you’re the kind of father I want to raise my children. You’re the country I want for my children.

But I’m looking for adventure. I’m looking for something that can continue to stretch me, growing this way and that to eventually accommodate the entire world.

My mind is still growing, searching for more. And Australia is the wise place I’ll settle into once I’ve felt satiated by the unknown.

I’m approaching my final days in Australia (for this time) and I think I’ve just had my life’s greatest love affair. The kind that you look back on with a smile.