I was lucky enough recently to spend a weekend at Bryon Bay, the most easterly point in mainland Australia, and a place that has had a spiritual pull over Australians since before white explorers knew the continent existed. From ancient aboriginals to new-age hippies, Bryon has always attracted people looking to get something back from the crystal clear waters.
Visiting, you can understand why. Byron now has all the markings of a touristy beach town, down to cheap sunglasses and overpriced fish and chips. But taking a walk along the cape and up to the lighthouse will put your right back in your spiritual centre. You can't help but think about your place in the world when you're surrounded by ocean on all sides, watching it stretch endlessly. There is nothing out there - that body of water that you're looking at stretches for over 7,000 miles. When you start thinking that big you wonder if the curve of the horizon is really the curve of the earth itself.
Of course, standing on the more easterly point of Australia I was also thinking "hmmm... if I could just swim 7,000 miles that way...." Whales can do it, turtles do is all the time, but I was only able to gaze into the horizon and think that somewhere, in that direction, is home.
That being said, the longer I stay in Australia, the more it feels like my second home, and let me say, I love the country. The physical beauty is stunning, for sure, but there's also something special about the place. Recently, I've been finding my inner Aussie coming to the surface. I now sit in the front seat of cabs without thinking that it's the most terribly awkward thing ever. When I'm the one doing the driving, I can stay to the left without thinking about it constantly. At babysitting I can put the babies in their cots, and change their nappies, and I even asked one little girl how her tomahto plant was growing. I no longer winge every week when there is no reduced fat ice cream in the grocery store, and this morning I actually asked for vegemite on toast. Although, when Mark slathered it on, I did need to explain that I wasn't quite that Australian yet - I'll take my vegemite barely there, thank-you.
So yes, I will take the Land of the Long Weekend as my second home, to complement The Land Of Those Who Never Stop Working. After all, I think America could benefit from having a four day Easter Weekend, to go with the two other long weekends in April. Who needs a five day work week anyway, when there is so much to see?
