westernaustralianmintcovered :)

January 16^th, 2pm

They say first impressions are everything.

I love it here.

The whole 2 hour drive to the resort was wonderful, falling head over heels for the manager of housekeeping, we shared life stories and world philosophies and past travels and future outlooks! I learned all about her children and her past marriages and the beginning glimpses of her beautiful wandering soul. She gave me the full preamble to each new character about to enter my story here, all of the current staff members (there are only a small handful!). I can already picture us sharing a glass of wine on the beach very soon :)

We drove through a Broome thunderstorm, roads bright red clay. We passed wallabies and cattle, surrounded by the most classic Aussie scenery I could have ever imagined. Remote, beautiful. The resort is gorgeous, truly stunning. My tent is fantastic – since it’s off season, staff have been upgraded to the visitor accomodations, so I’ve got my own private bungalow, king size bed, full bathroom, balcony/patio with a lake view! I’m a 3 minute walk to the ocean, to the infinity pool, to the yoga studio. I’m certain the heat will make that awesome little living space rather uncomfortable (I think I can predict sleeping to be nearly impossible), but it is definitely more than I could have ever asked for.

(my backyard)

Some vows for the next 3 months:

~ Yoga every single day, even if it is just a good stretch

~ Fresh juices, no meat

~ Finish at least the books loaned to me (there are only three… I am such a slow reader!)

~ MIND OVER MATTER. The heat will not kill me. Tough skin, mouse!

~ Find a fantastic moment in every single day, record all positivities, continue to find each silver lining

~ Do not let my fear of creepy crawlies ruin this experience for me (lol I have already encountered a shocking prang mantis, massive cock roaches & an impressive hunstman spider)

 “All change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end”

Nearly 8pm,

I have been describing many things lately as magical. I reckon magical is one of the most powerful descriptive words in my written vocabulary, and I mean to say this because I would hate for my reader to ever become desensitized to the word; I have simply felt moments of real magic quite often in the last few days (weeks, months).

This afternoon was magical.

 It was perfect, pure, genuine connection in every single sense of that word: to the people around me, to the land under my feet, to the rolling ocean waves 100 meters from my villa, to the most incredible yoga studio (only 50 meters from my villa) I have ever seen, to every single vibe this place is giving me. I spent this arvo with the other three staff members I’ve met here so far, all of us mid- to late-twenties, one of us early thirties. We are from Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Italy. I am already obsessed with that, and with every single personality or character trait that helps piece those 4 incredibly diverse corners of this world together so perfectly.

Today my new friends took me down to the beach and poured me wine and cracked their beers and we sat in hammocks under the late evening sun. Then we went for the longest, warmest swim in the Indian Ocean, and we shared that experience as a first for each of us (from WA anyway, it felt exactly like I was back in Thailand). It was such a special couple of hours in that water with those people.

New Zealand runs the yoga studio and the day spa and has been here for just about a month now, with plans to give it a solid go for at least a good handful of months into next season. Italy has been here a couple of months now, and he has decided (just today!) to stay for a few more to come. Hong Kong is nearing the end of his third month at the resort and is leaving us in 2 weeks. None of them had felt brave enough in any of their amounts of time here yet to take a real dip in the ocean.

A big part of me has already established exactly what this experience is going to be for me in the simple fact that today, on my very first day, within just a few hours of being here, I did the one thing I was advised against and warned about: I went for a swim in the ocean! A long one! We let the bath-water-warm waves roll over us and dove head first through the rips. We bobbed up and down and made those instant connections, shared incredible details and made wonderful conversation without even thinking about all of the deadly stinger potential around us!    

We survived, sans shark bites or croc attacks or jellyfish zaps or stinger fish encounters. We survived and we emerged eventually, reluctantly, smiling triumphantly; satisfaction dripping from our salty limbs.

But how do I keep getting so lucky every time I start a new chapter or a new version of this little Aussie life? Seriously, all of the kudos to the universe for continuing to be so generous to me, and for this especially exceptional first impression.

Tomorrow is 7am sunrise yoga in that studio I already refer to as Heaven. I have the entire day off to take photos and explore the lengths of the beach and find a suitable running trail and make fresh juice and stand on my head and count my blessings. I can’t wait for it.