A Whole Year Of Summer

... No Rains, No Winters! That is exactly what 2009 is for me. Having survived the Gulf Summer, as the winter approaches this place, I move away to very distant shores. I am moving to the other hemisphere, to a place known as the land of beer, Australia. Yes, that is where I am headed, hopefully for the long haul. But then again, knowing me and the way my life shapes up, one never knows.

When I was in college, my room-mate, N and I, were both keen to live in Bombay and Australia. How strange that I have lived some years in Bombay and am heading to Australia. Makes me wonder, if indeed we should be careful about what we wish for! The change is going to be huge definitely, and indeed it will take a while to settle in, get used to life there, but I am sure it will be a better life. Isn't that the way we should look at every change life, hoping for the very best.

The recent tales of racist attacks in the country-continent have shaken up Indians across the globe, and hearing about it, made me apprehensive too. But every friend and acquaintance living there, has a different tale to tell, so that satisfies my anxiety. A lot has to be worked out, right from the how to the exactly when and all else in between and after. With the BB in tow, I need to get there, into a place which is settled enough to provide us a bed to sleep on and regular food to be prepared in. Yes, having a child, and a small one at that does complicate things. The move would also entail me exploring and learning about a new place. Everything changes, from my brand of detergent to toothpaste, and it will take a while to settle into a comfort zone, after a lot of buy and try. However having recently shifted places once, I am better prepared in terms of what to expect and how to work around it. One of the cons though is, that Australia is far far away from everywhere else, and hence I cannot just jump on a flight and head to India if I feel really homesick!

This year is thus an entire year of summer for me. Works out great, because that means I can explore the place nice and fine after reaching, and would be better prepared to face the temperature dip in the winters. There is not much else to do now, except jump into the frenetic pace at which things need to be done and organised, before we leave here in less than a month. A month or so of transit in India and then off I will be to the land of the Late Steve Irwin, kangaroos, koalas, ostriches, gorgeous beaches and more.