PART 1: Australia
My girls, Ria especially, regularly ask me to tell them
stories about my life. I rarely feel any
desire to revisit the past. But I
realize how valuable stories are. I do
not feel adept at telling them verbally, though. That is Jessie’s forte. So, I’m going to begin remember-telling the
stories from my youth and young-adulthood.
I’ve told some of these stories in my journals and other places, but
this is especially for my children because I love them more than anything or
anyone else (except their Daddy).
I made the plan to travel as an exchange student to Australia
at the same time I made the plan to go to Japan
in the same capacity. I was twenty-two
or twenty-three years old, or so, and felt just so very old to be single. (I expected and rather hoped to be married at
19, like my Mom was. So, given that
misguided expectation, 23 was pretty old.
As I write this now, at 36, I scoff at my silliness! How YOUNG I was!!) So, because of my agedness in unmarried-ness,
I decided to map out my life. Surely, I
figured, if I wasn’t married by now, who would want me!? (This attitude was impacted greatly by the
misadventures in dating I’d experienced.)
The first order of business was to determine what I should
do to earn money for the rest of my old-maidenhood. (I think the experience I’m about to describe
actually happened when I was a little bit younger, but I didn’t get back to my
secondary education for a while after it.)
I had no clue where to begin. So,
I turned to a college catalog. The index,
to be exact. I started at ‘A’ and went
through ‘Z’ and highlighted all the things that were interesting to me. I have to tell you, there were lots of
markings. However, they did sort of
congregate together. Once I made it
through the first to the last, I went back through, but started at the last and
went back toward the first. I didn’t
make it all the way back to the beginning because I had an experience.
As I came to the highlighted term ‘teaching.’ I felt
something remarkable. I felt like it was
something I simply MUST do. I was
excited and happy and felt I’d accomplished my purpose. As I sat there, rather exultantly, I realized
that I didn’t know WHAT I should teach.
I had a thought to go back toward ‘Z,’ but felt the answer was in the direction
I’d already been going… so I continued.
The feeling I’d felt when I read ‘teacher’ occurred again, but with
completion when I came to ‘English.’ It
was more than I’m describing. I felt
euphoric, finished, yet only at the beginning.
I felt like I KNEW what I needed to do.
I’d been feeling rather flopsy and unsure about what my life
would/should hold, so this feeling… this was a NEW feeling! I knew WHAT I should study in
University. What a great feeling!
I developed my ten-year plan when I had about 2 years of
College left. Since I was still a
student, I figured I should do something interesting AS a student. So, I decided that I should study abroad. I chose Japan
and Australia
because my Dad had been there as an enlisted NAVY man while on cruises when I
was a child. I’d loved the stories he
told and the experiences he conveyed. He
rarely told the stories… yet another way we are alike, I suppose… but when he
did… WOW. I was transported!
I went to Japan
first. I’ll tell you about that in
another story. This one is all about
trying to get to Australia ! It was rather difficult just getting there, I
tell ya! You see, I met a guy when I got
back to Virginia from Japan . Within a month of returning from Japan ,
he found me on matchmaker.com, actually.
He IS your Daddy! How did you
guess? J
So, even though he departed for a six-month cruise the May
after we met (January 2001), I felt like I should just stay in the U.S.A.
and finish school. But he and I talked
about it and figured the time would pass more quickly for both of us if we were
both doing something great. So, I worked
and prepared, planned and eventually went to Australia .
I left VA at the end of June or beginning of July 2001. I was a nervous nelly and packed WAY too
much. I mean, seriously way too
much. I mean, I could barely carry all
the stuff I packed. I had two huge
backpacking backpacks and another smaller daypack style backpack. The weight… well, I was able to use the buses
on the way TO school, but not without unpacking lots on the way home from
school! Seriously. (That has a LOT to do
with my food storage obsession and the trauma I experienced as a result of September 11, 2001 . I digress.)
Departure was seriously nerve wracking for me. I dislike change, even exciting positive
change is difficult for me. On one hand
I kept trying to convince myself that I should stay and continue school as I’d
been doing it, but on the other hand I argued myself into keeping with the portion
of the 10-year plan that I COULD complete since I wasn’t actually married
yet. The arguing side won out.
I got to Sydney
without too much difficulty. Flying that
long is exhausting, but I didn’t have any serious hurdles to jump or problems
to overcome. I was able to make my way
to the hostel I’d previously booked. It
all went very smoothly, for which I was very grateful because I was seriously
scared of this lone travel thing.
Thankfully, at least, English is the primary language in Australia ,
so I didn’t have to worry about communication, for the most part.
It was during one of my first few days in Australia ,
and definitely there in Sydney , that
I was wandering around and sat myself down on a park bench. I was just enjoying the scenery and the
breeze, when I happened to see Mormon Missionaries. I was so surprised and pleased (note: I
wasn’t active at all in the Church at that time in my life) that I called out
to them. I think they were both American
guys and we enjoyed a few exchanges.
This is a pretty big deal. Here
we have a tangent.
1 comment:
I like and appreciate your soliloquy. I/ve always liked that word, too!
Has Ria read your piece here? it seems like a good thing to send her to when she asks for a story.
I vaguely recall your delight in coming to the decisions you write about here. I know you were pleased, even happy, but don't recall you conveying the deepth of emotion that you express here.
When preparing for your travels, even the trip to Utah, I knew that you were nervous and even anxious, but, again, not to the degree that you express here.
Now, I forget. Edith Cowin University....was it in Sydney?
love, mom
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