“One [is] a riddle not only to others but also to oneself. I examine myself; when I am tired of that, I smoke a cigar for diversion and think: God knows what our Lord actually intended with me or what he wants to make of me.” A in Either/Or I (Kierkegaard)
The next few months will involve a lot of traveling: connecting with friends I haven’t seen in a while, new experiences, revisiting old, and in eating some of my favourite things in some favourite haunts with some of my favourite people. It will be all riddling and diversions.
My sojourn in Australia has been exactly what I needed: warmth, sun, time and space to get massively stuck into the last miles of thesis writing, seeing family, visiting with local professors and getting a feel for higher education, literature studies, and theology in Australia.
Working alongside the church in Australia has been an amazing learning experience and an opportunity to be challenged in ways I never could have predicted. I am grateful to have been able to work with some really incredible people and to have become friends with many more. I’ve lived close to the water once again and allowed the sea breeze to clear my head and heart.
Riddling and Diversions.
I’ve had my heart broken, and my spirit. But i’m still standing.
I’ve worked in hospitality and admin, and higher education, and the church. I’ve worked freelance.
I’ve stood on my own two feet.
I’ve fallen in love and married a wonderful man.
A man who loves the creative, writerly, parts of me. As well as all the other bits.
Riddling and Diversions
As I snack on macadamia nuts, eat danish feta and semi sun dried tomatoes, wrapped in hungarian mild salami (all gluten free), I was just reflecting on the way food shapes experiences – I’ve been glad for unlimited supplies of Milo, golden syrup, bundaberg ginger beer, ketap manis, and danish feta. I’m looking forward to mexican food, and wine tasting, as much as dogfishhead or blue moon: although I enjoy O’Brien’s Gluten Free beer or Corona (<20ppm gluten) these days. I long for another summer of lemonade and carnitas and barbacoa tacos at Las Espigo d’Oro. This is good. I look forward to the Pad Thai in Bangkok, and the sashimi in Japan.
Food is not the reason for the trip, but the experiences will be as wrapped with food as my first visit to Paris had the duck and the escargot to commend it – oh, and the crepes with nutella and banana. Oy vey.
There will be writing on the move – on trains, and boats and in cafes along the way – lots of writing – interspersed with time with friends. There will be meetings and fun and time to celebrate the happiness of friends and family. There will be exploration and adventure, and maps, lots and lots and lots of maps. There will be Riddling and Diversions.
______________________________________
Listening. Observing. Participating. Writing. Photographing. Reflecting.
Join me on Facebook Chat with me on Twitter Connect on Instagram
Sign up for Overland From Oz Updates
Anna Blanch Rabe is an Australian-born writer and photographer. You can follow her adventures on Not A Pedestrian Life, or Facebook. For more Life: Inspiration take a look at Quotidian Home or her previous website, Goannatree.
Save