Life can get busy. Living in Melbourne our life had become full of events to attend: birthday celebrations; weddings; barbecues and general catch-ups. It had become run by our calendar of events. In essence, life wasn't about what we wanted to do anymore but what was scheduled.
Life is an adventure. It's about waking up and asking, 'what do I want to do today?' 'What do I feel like doing today?' Getting away for a year gives all of this back to you. Your life suddenly becomes yours again.
Uprooting from Melbourne and moving to Port Lincoln was hard and once settled, there were moments of loneliness, being away from family and friends. The beauty of technology such as Skype, texting and phone calls never proved more useful.
So, what were the big differences between city and country life?
City life is exciting, there are shows and gigs always to go to. There are always new cafes and restaurants to try. There's something to do every night of the week, there are shops, things are open late, early and all weekend. People and places are so trendy and interesting - everyone is so different and from so many different parts of the world.
Country life is adventurous. It's fresh. The air is fresh, the food is fresh. It's down to earth but doesn't cost the earth! It's a very real way of living. It's so relaxing and chilled out. Everything is 5 minutes away, there's no traffic, no stress. It's friendly, warm and fuzzy. Nothing's a hassle, nobody is too busy to help or to stop and have a friendly chat.
Now to finish with a fun cliche, the five things I will miss most about the Eyre Peninsula are:
1. The people. Always especially friendly and helpful. Nothing is too hard for them if it means taking the time to help someone out. Some say there is a difference between city and country folk in this regard and Port Lincoln would be affirmative evidence for anyone looking to prove the point. We often noted how nobody was in a particular hurry to get anywhere, which meant stopping for a ten minute chat to a stranger was all part of your day.
2. The seafood. Being able to buy a dozen, fresh Coffin Bay oysters for less than $10, take them home and shuck them yourself. mmm
3.The lonely beaches and living by the water. Pulling up at a beach and not having it to yourself is a rarity on The Eyre Peninsula. Crystal clear water, soft white sand. The kind of beaches dreams are made of...
Nothing is more relaxing than resting on your lounge and gazing out the window to boats floating on by. It's pretty hard to beat. The occasional dolphin or seal making a splash and the salty sea smell is the sealer.
4. The omission of countless rules and regulations. You can drive on the beach (awesome!). And signs and levies and... you get the drift.
5. Everything is five minutes away. That's the difference in a country town; it takes five minutes to get to all your daily locations. Five minutes getting to work, driving along the coastline, absorbing the view on your way. Five minutes to the supermarket or doctors or post office or pub. And in our case, five minutes to the National Park full of spectacular beaches. All of this means more time doing the things you want to do. No such thing as peak hour traffic! Stress levels slowly evaporate.
Would I do it again? Yes - most definitely!!
If you are considering a sea/country change - BE WARNED. You may never be able to return to the hustle and bustle of city life again!
