Thick in the universe of family, The Man and I are enjoying a bit of ‘family first’ time back at the Homesite. Once more we are parked up at the freecamp in our backyard and sharing time with those we love dearly.
First off the rank is the yard… a little bit a tweeking and gardening to enrich the soul, some planned reno’s to the mobile residence, the van, and then the house… time to attack another of our collection of boxes, thinning out the remnant of another life as a live-in home owner. These tasks completed or still underway for the time, along with large doses of Grandchildren, we are now turning our minds to planning our next adventures. We will be out on the wallaby soon for sure, as already our feet are itching or should I say the tyre rubber is rearing to roll.
Having always been a planner I look to what is coming-up over the next year or two… maybe three. There is so much to see, so much to do and so much to experience in roaming the Aussie highways and tracks that we are simply spoilt for choice. A degree of planning is always required as the land is vast, the tracks tempting and the opportunity to enjoy all that is on offer is sometimes over-whelming. It is good to approach these things with a bucket list of ‘gotta do and gunna see’ notes, a trusty computer to research with, and a fervour for adventure and the experiences life can offer.
Research is food for the soul and planning is the table upon which adventure is served. Without a degree of planning it is a smorgasbord and often you need to carouse the buffet offerings if you want to savour all that is possible. For us it is all about finding those truly delightful hidden gems across the land and making notes so as not to lose the possibility for adventure.
On my lappie desktop we have a gathering of dreams and ideas in document form. From returning to The Kimberley, our upcoming Tassie Tour and onto Introducing one of our treasured Grandies from FNQ to the Snowy and so much more. Yep… so looking forward to that last one, next month! All of these adventures require a degree of planning, and the planning is something everyone on tour should consider.
We take these ‘dream’ documents and puzzle them into our upcoming tours, which we will undertake over the next 24 months or so, sometimes even longer while they gather as a type of wish list on the computer desktop. Now don’t get me wrong… we do freely wander. It is after-all, all about the adventure and things can change in an instant, but there is an essential element to the grand plan overview.
In our younger and more agile years while we toured the world at times, and learnt the value of planning, we also came to understand the value of wanderlust and dreaming. As such we have always given over days to simply smelling the wildflowers and wandering the byways and laneways. One of our most memorable adventures in a thriving metropolis was our time in Venice some years ago, where we simply made our way towards Venice, an island and community off Continental Europe, and there caught the public gondola to the San Marco piazza. We then threaded our way on foot, back towards the main rail station over the course of the entire day without the benefit of a map. We enjoyed turning down lost laneways and exploring small hidden places and discovering small family restaurants and other curio shops of masks and little treasures. It was truly a delightful experience and one that taught us well that wandering is really an art.
So now… we take time to plan aspects of each of our adventures. We draw up a bucket list of ‘must see or do’ that is truly our own and not littered with commercial enterprises and tourist type traps. We fluff out this bucket list of small adventures and interests, along with research notes and discoveries we have made about where we are going. Things such as campsite gems, places to go that are a must to visit and most precious of all… family and friends to catch up with. We have even enjoyed inviting friends to join us in our small adventures, doubling the pleasure of the time.
Such is our growing, and always developing plan for the future days and months, those almost in hand. Never undervalue the opportunity to plan. Grasp it with two hands… ten fingers to type with and an imagination to help the spirit to soar. Discover your inner adventurer and give this spirit free rein and you will find the rewards are one of life’s true pleasures.
It is true that you arrive at the place of life’s greatest of adventures, after taking those small, uneventful steps towards your dreams.
Travel well.
Jan is an author and writer, who write’s about her travel experiences as she and The Man tour the vast continent. From the blue oceans to the red deserts you can read all the many varied experiences of traveling across this land.
Stories of travelling Australia and the travelling experience of a wandering lifestyle, you can experience the richness of life on the wallaby.
Come join us in an adventure in Discover Australia and Her Ancient Lore.
Jan Hawkins Author 