Journal - 28th March

It’s 5:30am. Saturday.
Raining outside.

Cyclone Narelle has come and gone, leaving a trail of destruction across parts of the north-west. For some, it will be remembered for what it took. For us, it’s left something different.... rain. Proper, steady, much needed rain.

It’s strange when you think about it. The same thing that brings pain and loss in one place can bring relief and renewal in another. Destroyer and saviour, depending on where you stand. I don’t know if that’s something to read deeply into, but it does make me pause. Some people will carry the memory of this cyclone for the rest of their lives. For me, it will sit as something I’m grateful for.

Even our upcoming trip benefits from it. We’re heading across the Nullarbor to Adelaide, towing our home behind us, and those tailwinds....the leftovers of the cyclone....will help soften the blow of the fuel prices we’re dealing with at the moment. Small wins where you can take them.

We’re preparing for 5 weeks away.

I need it.

My job is good....I don’t complain about it....but it does take its toll. A 2:2 roster sounds balanced on paper, but the reality is different. The mental load, the constant need to stay sharp, to remember, to think clearly....it leaves you a bit wired over time. Even when you’re off, a part of your mind is still connected to it. You never fully switch off on shorter breaks.

That’s why the longer ones matter and why I need them.

They give you permission to step away properly. To stop thinking about what’s happening back at work. To come back into your own life fully.....not just physically, but mentally as well.

This trip will be full. Drive to South Australia, have a look around, then turn around and come home. On paper, it doesn’t sound like much. But it never really is about the destination. It’s about the time in between. The conversations, the boredom, the small stops, the shared experience.

That’s what I’m looking forward to.

There’s also a bigger shift happening in the background.

The house build is finally moving. All the prep work is done, and after eight years of not living in our own place.....aside from building the smaller house for Mum and Dad....we’re finally heading back toward that. It’ll be the first time the boys have ever had their own rooms.

That part feels good.

What doesn’t feel as good is the uncertainty around it. Build costs, fuel prices, the ripple effects of global issues like the Iran conflict....it all adds a layer of unpredictability that I can’t ignore.

But at some point, you have to move anyway.

Everything is always changing. There’s never a perfect moment where the future becomes clear and risk disappears. You either act, or you sit still waiting for certainty that never comes.

I’ve never been one for analysis paralysis.

We’re all heading in the same direction eventually....30 or 40 years if im lucky....and none of this comes with us. So the choice, as I see it, is to keep moving forward, deal with what comes, and try not to make too many avoidable mistakes along the way.

That’s the same thinking behind the Adelaide trip.

Fuel prices are high. Timing isn’t perfect. But when is it ever? Who knows what the future holds. You either live now or you keep waiting for conditions to improve.

I’d rather go.

There’s still prep to do, but I’m not worried about it. We’ve done big trips before....travelled around Australia....so there’s a level of confidence that comes with that. You know what matters and, more importantly, what doesn’t.

That’s where the real challenge lies.

Holding Clare back from taking too much.

We’ve both done it before....over-prepared, packed everything “just in case”, and then realised we didn’t use half of it. Experience should make this easier, but habits are hard to shake.

We’ll see how we go.

Adding Chilli into the mix will be interesting too. Travelling with a dog changes things. It limits where you can go, what you can do, where you can stay. It adds another layer of responsibility.

But she’s part of the family now.

So we adjust.

Like everything else.

That seems to be the theme running through all of this....things don’t line up perfectly. They never have and they never will. There’s always a trade-off, always something gained and something given up.

You just keep moving, adjust where you need to, and try to appreciate what’s in front of you while it’s there.

Rain falling outside.
Trip ahead.
House coming.

A lot happening.
All of it uncertain.
All of it moving

I guess thats the point right?

Don’t wait for life to settle before you live it.....you never know if you’re in the rain or the cyclone, so just keep moving and appreciating where you are.