Preparing to cast off and reflecting on our safe harbour

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

With eight sleeps to go until we leave I am becoming increasingly nervous, mostly questioning that everything will be ready in time for us to leave. It seems completely unreal that we are about to "throw off the bowlines" and sail away from our safe harbour.

As a family we have been discussing the idea that we are not going in search of better places but rather we are going to explore a small part of the world in search of new experiences. So I asked Rob and the kids to consider what they most enjoy and will really miss about living in Perth, as this will help to remind us about how terrific our home really is. And so here is our top 10, in no particular order:

The ten things we will miss most about living in Perth

Springtime in the Swan Valley. 

1. The pleasure of bumping into people everyday who know you well, are as pleased to see you as you are to see them and having a chat together. The kids said their friends would be the number 1 thing they would miss the most.

2. Cooking for our friends and enjoying long afternoon get togethers with good food and great company. This is something we have really neglected in past few years but we had a housewarming, Christmas and farewell party, all wrapped into one, last weekend and had a fabulous afternoon with forty eight special people.

3. Our beautiful school, set in bushland, where I will miss the sense of community as well as the delicious food and sitting with a cuppa and a good friend watching the bandicoots in the garden while the kids are in class. Julian will miss his Kindy friends and, he insists on me telling you, he will also miss the ball swing, castle and slide in the Kindy playground. Emma says that she will miss her friend Hunter in particular, her teacher Susan, craft lessons but definitely not German.

4. Springtime in Perth is the best time of year, it's not so dreadfully hot as it gets in summer, and there is always somewhere beautiful to go like the Spring festival in Kings Park. Over the past few days temperatures have reached 40 degrees and I wont miss that at all.

5.Spending time down by the Swan River, paddling our feet, watching Swans and Dolphins as well as the water skiers and other people messing about in boats on the river. I definitely prefer the river over the beach.

6. Spending time on boats, whether it crabbing or pulling the kids along on an inflatable behind our little boat, that hasn't touched the water in years , or spending the day moored off Garden Island on a boat belonging to our great mates, cooking a BBQ on the back while the kids mess around in the water.

7. There are so many terrific festivals to visit throughout the year but as Fremantle locals who wouldn't live anywhere else in Perth we agree that the George St Festival, the Fremantle Street Arts Festival and Fairbridge World Music Festival are the best of the best.

8. We all love days out in the Swan Valley, visiting the Chocolate Factory, a brewery for lunch, a trip on the train in Whiteman Park or maybe a visit to Caversham Wildlife Park. While the Swan Valley may not have as much to offer as "down south" it is certainly much closer than Margaret River.

9. Rob would like to add fishing and playing golf but as he has not had he opportunity to do either in many a year it is probably better to say that these are things he looks forward to doing while we are away and will also make a point of making time for when we get back.

10. Our own backyard. It amazes me that I have chosen a part of our home as one of the things I will miss, as I am so sick of the seemingly endless work this place represents. But a lovely neighbour has been encouraging me to look around and think about what is special about this place so that our homecoming will be as exciting as the adventure itself. And so I have chosen our backyard, which is filled with beautiful birds, who have adopted us as their family, filled with trees that provide a shady haven on a hot day and fruit, nuts and vegies to delight the kids. It truly is beautiful and I will miss it.

Baby magpie in our pecan tree.

 

So what about you, what do you love most about Perth or where ever you live?  I can't wait to hear all of your comments about your favourite things, because I'm am sure we have missed quite a few and I'll love to look back while we are away and be reminded of home.