Home

Do you get that feeling sometimes when you’re driving that you just feel so free and lucky to be where you are?

I have always loved driving – especially in the wide open spaces in country NSW, Australia. But lately when I’m out and about I often have this feeling wash over me that I am so very fortunate to live where I do – my home, my community, my country.

For some people being in a bustling city really rocks their boat – all the people and action is inspiring. When I visit the city I always enjoy it, but at the same time I can’t wait to get home. I live in a comfy little cottage on a 2000 acre farm (mostly sheep, wheat and canola) and I love it. Sometimes the isolation gets to me – it can be a real pain if I run out of milk because the nearest supermarket is 50km away! But most of the time I love my bit of “big sky country”. I can’t see or hear my neighbours, the noisiest thing we have to deal with is the sheep and the harvesters for a couple of weeks a year. I can sit on my back verandah on the beautiful summer evenings we are experiencing at the moment and look out over a paddock of hay towards a stand of gum trees and watch the sun set. This place makes me feel like I have space – space in my head to think and space for my body to move.

I love the weather here – in summer we have a couple of weeks of 40C+ temps (ouch!) and in winter I only have to drive 15mins to see snow (not enough to ski on, but enough to play in!). I adore these extremes – you really know you’re alive when in the space of 4 months you go from sweltering heat to frosty clear days. The 4 year drought we have just been through wasn’t so great though, it breaks your heart to see animals doing it tough and farm families struggling – but that is the way of nature, we are merely passengers on this ride and we are foolish to think we actually have any say in the matter. The recent floods we experienced are very clear reminder of that!

Since living in this area we have been so fortunate to meet some wonderful people – simple, honest, caring, family-focused people who care about what is going on in your life, but aren’t busy-bodies. Who are always ready to help out when they can and can cook a mean BBQ! It feels good to know we are part of this community.

Everyday I’m thankful to be Aussie. I’m not wearing rose coloured glasses – I know we have social, political, environmental problems, but I also know that Australia lives up to it’s title of “The Lucky Country”. I feel safe, I have access to excellent education and health care, I’m not limited because of my sex or religion. I have clean air to breathe and room to move. I can choose the type of life I want to lead. I can afford to live comfortably and have enough left over to travel. I can explore what it means to be me – my strengths, talents, beliefs, emotions. I can love who I want and be able to openly display my affection for the people I am blessed to share my life with.

So this weekend, I plan to get my in my car, put my favourite music on loud, drive through my beautiful country and sing my heart out! Because whenever I do that I feel so alive and so inspired to make the most of the wonderful place I live. I just wish I could find a way to capture that feeling and express it through some creative means.

How does your home make you feel?



The view from my home office/studio across the neighbours' wheat field.


The view from our kitchen door on a stormy afternoon.