"Utes", Johnie Cash, Cowboy hats, & Sheep pastures= Feeling as though I`ve gone back in time 50 years...

16 weeks spent living virtually in the middle of nowhere 2 hours southeast of Perth. The nearest gas station/ grocery store/ internet facilities were 45 minutes away. At times I literally felt as though I had gone back 50 years in time--- seeing the farmers pull up at the pub with their old style "utes" with their sheep dogs on the back while the farmers sipped an afternoon beer to Johny Cash in the background.... hehe

At times I felt so absolutely lonely & isolated- frustrated at being so cut off from the rest of the world, but I lived there with two other girls and we got each other through it with our "shenanigans." The locals were really friendly & such characters! The pub/restaurant was really busy for the most part (which kept us on our toes)--- and the scenery & surroundings were beautiful. I was so sure that I couldn`t wait to leave and yet at the end of 16 weeks I was absolutely devastated when it began to register that the ending was near... Even now- 4 weeks later- I still think about good `ol Quinny all of the time. I wonder whose at the pub, what the locals are talking about, what band is playing this Thursday...etc etc. It`s funny how we see things differently once we remove ourselves from the situation. The hardest part to adapt to was going from always being surrounded by someone (we`d always be sitting in the pub when we weren`t working surrounded by people or us girls would be at home in the crash palace with each other)--- to being completely alone all of a sudden with no one to talk to. I decided to check into a motel in Perth for three nights to relax and have my own space. At the time it seemed like a smart idea- but once I was dropped off I found myself not knowing what to do with myself or with all of the space at my finger tips all of a sudden...

Quinny will always be a fond memory. I think perhaps my constant thoughts of it to this day are the result of feeling as though there was no closure in respect to certain aspects of the experience. One minute things were just like they had been for the past three months- and the next I`m saying good-bye as though I`m just going for a short ride when really my bags are packed at the door--- and this is good- bye forever...