Hello Sunday Morning – My wish for a Dry July

Several years ago Chris Raine, a young Brisbane man who worked in advertising, was asked to come up with a proposal for a youth-oriented campaign against binge drinking.

Hello Sunday Morning: Chris Raine’s year off alcohol | Executive Living | The Australian

No I am not considering removing alcohol from my life altogether, but for a number of reasons I have decided to step up to the challenge of a Dry July.

Given I am at the tail-end of the demographic discussed in this story, as some of you already know I have more than enough ‘Stories of Me’ to share but instead of looking back with regret I have decided to make a positive step forward.

I’m kissing the booze goodbye for 31 days and raising money for Cancer Council WA to help them improve the wellbeing of adults
living with cancer.

Wish me luck!

#dryjuly
@dryjuly

Travel scams: Twelve tourist traps to look out for

Scam artists use numerous techniques on tourists.
Here are 12 scams that travellers should look out for.

Source: Travel scams: Twelve tourist traps to look out for

Among the many benefits of a cruise holiday is the opportunity to learn new skills, from dance moves to crafting I’m happy to give anything a go.
On our recent Arcadia cruise the guest entertainment included Bob Arno, apparently the world’s fastest pick-pocket and an expert on street crime.
Along with being highly entertaining, his presentations certainly opened my eyes to how skilled street criminals are and reinforced the need to be alert at all times when away from familiar surroundings.

Watching my husband up on stage, nervously protecting his watch while his tie was removed from his neck without his knowledge was an
enlightening experience, demonstrating how easily the unsuspecting can be ‘relieved’ of personal belongings.

Touch wood, to date I have not personally been the victim of street crime while exploring new horizons, but it still pays to remind myself of the need to be alert in unfamiliar settings.

My personal tip?
Never ever wear a bum bag!
Those things just scream ‘hello I am a tourist!‘

Skinny jeans left woman paralysed in Adelaide park | The Advertiser

A MUST-have fashion trend designed to make legs look great has left a woman unable to walk, in an Adelaide medical emergency caused by skin-tight jeans.

Source: Skinny jeans left woman paralysed in Adelaide park | The Advertiser

When the alarm went off this chilly morning, my brain immediately switched on when I heard this news headline so I just had to follow it up.

File this one under ‘lessons learnt’ my friends, there is now a medical reason to avoid wearing skinny jeans along with the fact that for those of us born without the supermodel gene, skinny jeans just look wrong unless you wear heels to make your legs longer.

Unless you are hoping to meet ‘Mr Right’ while helping your friend pack up and move home, who in their right mind would choose
skinny jeans over something old, baggy and stained to wear anyway?

Of course that is just my opinion, but it’s hard to argue with the facts in this case.

America Just Saved Your Carry-On Bag | Money.com

A proposal that would try to shrink the size of carry on-luggage is getting “a comprehensive reassessment” after American backlash.

Source: America Just Saved Your Carry-On Bag | Money.com

Headlines about travel always catch my eye, and I have been following this story with a lot of interest over the past few weeks.
For people like me who plan for and embark on a big trip on average once every two years, the prospect of further restricting the amount of carry on luggage to a specific size smacked of yet another way for the ‘fat cats’ to maximize their profits and minimize our comfort on board a plane.

Until recently the guidelines were more about weight than size, and yes I agree it is a big fat pain to have to wait in line while everyone crams their hand luggage into the overhead lockers.
According to my research online, we only started to be charged for our checked in luggage relatively recently too, which is apparently how the problem with cramming the overhead lockers came to pass.

I guess the ‘fat cats’ aren’t really fussed if their checked in baggage goes AWOL, easy enough to get what you need at the other end with your trusty credit card.
But those of us who scrimp and save and plan for their holiday obviously can’t afford to be so complacent, hence the desire to carry my most
treasured possessions with me onto and off the plane personally.

If the airlines are looking for new ways to maximize their profit, why is it that we have to pay more for our luggage and not our seat based on weight?
Anyone who has had the misfortune to sit next to, behind or in front of an ‘oversized’ person knows what I mean.

In the meantime, my tip for anyone planning their next big trip is to keep an eye on the headlines.

Happy EOFY

Is it just me, or does the end of financial year ‘rush’ manifest in a
personal stocktake for anyone else?

The urge to spend is hard to overcome when there are serious bargains to be had out there, and likewise the workplace end of year need to tie off all the loose ends can mean a different type of rush for some.

The end of a Semester of study and subsequent lifting of the ‘black cloud’ of assessments and exam preparation sheds new light on whatever is over the horizon;
even if it is more of the same it feels like a new start.

As we approach the Winter Solstice my thoughts are already turning to Spring, with my head full of ideas for bringing new life into my home,
although overcoming the urge to hibernate in the meantime is my
biggest hurdle.

In the blink of an eye my children are now young adults dealing with life in their own unique way, their legacy a childhood of milestones and memories left for me to sort through.

Watching them navigate their own path leads to further reflection of my own life journey, what my personal legacy will be at the end of my time, and how life has a way of throwing obstacles in my way that were not accounted for in my last personal stocktake but will hopefully result in better planning for the next one.

A Milestone Celebration

My baby girl celebrated her 21st birthday yesterday, inviting her closest friends and family to our home for a champagne brunch.

For me it provided the perfect opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as a family over this time, and also on the meaning of this milestone in the modern world.

Given that the age of consent is 16, and a person is legally considered an adult at 18, what is it about turning 21 that is worth celebrating?

In Australia it was not until 1973 that the voting age was reduced from 21 to 18, so perhaps the acknowledgment of turning 21 is a hangover from another generation, representing the traditional age of maturity?

Or is it that by 21 most young adults have settled into a clear path into their future, determined by their immininent graduation from University, experience in the workplace or traveling, depending on their family background and circumstances.

In my case I was mother to an 18 month old by the time I turned 21, yet invited a cast of thousands to join me in marking this rite of passage. And everyone who I invited was happy to be there to celebrate with me, most likely because of the free flowing alcohol but still it was nice to be the centre of attention for the night.

The sad thing about the brunch for my daughter was that less than half of those who accepted the invitation actually made it to the gathering.

Not that she was bothered, those who did make it were inspiringly authentic and genuine in their friendship, and happily left with delicious treats leftover from the hoards I mistakenly catered for.

My opinion of those who didn’t attend is that chances are they got a better offer, weren’t enticed to attend by our comparatively low key celebration, or perhaps were too hungover from celebrating the end of Semester but at the very least common courtesy would have them send their apologies.

But of course that would have been the mature thing to do.

#thisisWA

Today is a Public Holiday in my hometown, historically known as Foundation Day but more recently renamed WA Day in the land of the long weekend.

Apparently the freeway was a carpark on Friday, crammed full of carloads of locals heading away on our last long weekend until September. Until today the Autumn weather has been sublime, but this morning I see clouds building up outside and can feel a change in the air.

So apart from a short week at work, what does WA Day mean to me?

I guess it’s a time for reflecting on the way of life in what’s referred to as the world’s most isolated capital city, which in my lifetime has grown from feeling like a big country town where riding a bike from the beach to the city was an enjoyable pastime to a sprawling suburbia full of cars.

Memories of a childhood growing up by the beach, walking to school swinging my bag above my head to ward off the marauding magpies. The excitement of dressing up for a day in the city, the iconic Swan River snaking a path from Freo dividing local loyalties into North versus South.

The feeling that no matter where you are, chances are there’ll be someone there who knows you from somewhere.

The isolation is travel motivation but also a source of frustration because of the amount of hours and dollars it takes to get anywhere. And the long flight home when it’s time to return.

For me it’s the sunshine and clean air that refreshes my soul that is not comparable to anywhere I have traveled to. Our beautiful beaches, West Coast sunsets and abundant opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors; these are a few of my favourite things.

They say that familiarity breeds contempt, and maybe that’s why I have such a thirst for learning and wanderlust. You never know what you’ve got til it’s gone …

G’Day from WA, a little pocket of paradise in my opinion.

This could take some time

It is now two weeks since the end of our amazing time away and I am only now finding time to review the thousands of images I captured.

For me every one is full of memories so like my children I find it hard to play favourites, and in this case have decided that I’ll leave it to you to decide.

I have added Places & Faces to the menu with the aim of adding pages for every location visited on our recent holiday.

First stop to capture my heart was Mumbai, and there are close to 100 images from our day there.
If you have some time, please explore and let me know your favourites from my Mumbai gallery.

An Unexpected Scene

Our recent cruise on the Arcadia included a stop at the Port of Piraeus in our third week, and our party of four were very much looking forward to
our planned excursion to Athens.

The Acropolis for me was a must see, and certainly lived up to my
expectations, however a common sight during our time in Athens was dogs, including this cutie who seemed very happy and relaxed
resting in the field of poppies on the hillside adjacent to The Acropolis.

As an avid cat owner and spotter I have been accustomed to seeing my feline friends in unfamiliar places, but it was only in Athens that there
appeared to be a lot of very well fed and relaxed dogs laying around
everywhere we visited.

My travelling companion Maria was also intrigued, so asked our tour guide for information.

His version of the dogs being cared for by the local community seemed to make sense,
but since returning home I have been haunted by the thought of who
actually does care for them and why.

In researching the topic online I came across a number of commentaries on the topic, including this discussion of why stray dogs are a problem in Athens:

Not because they will attack you or chase you through the city streets but mostly because of an image problem of a major city and wandering around, lounging in the shade, solo and in packs are dogs

Source: Stray dogs are a problem in Athens

A Thousand Words

Forgive me if this post is somewhat melancholy, attending a funeral has the tendency to cause me to stop and reflect on my own life journey and contemplate what there would be to show for and what would be said about me at mine.

The old adage ‘A picture tells a thousand words’ never rings more true than at a funeral, when along with personal recollections by friends and family it is the lifetime of photos that tell the story of a life.

At forty five years of age I consider myself to be halfway through my story, and it is the circle of friends and family I have acquired who love and support me unconditionally and for whom I do not hesitate to do so in return that mean more to me than anything I have achieved or purchased.

I will admit to feeling a twinge of jealousy when entering a beautiful home, and well done if you have achieved your savings goal, but if that is all there is to show at the end of a lifetime I personally feel that to be a waste of life.

It is not the photos of property portfolios and possessions, or even bank balances that bring memories flooding back, it is the people and experiences that define a life, and I think that’s what’s driving me to see and experience more of the world in my lifetime.

The home pictured above was built by my husband’s grandfather and hosted a lifetime of stories, but at the end of the day it was sold when the Carn family links to the house ended and is now the setting of a whole new family story.

Sincere apologies to anyone I may offend by expressing this sentiment, but life for me is a journey not a destination so while I am still healthy and mobile I choose to live, and anyone who’s feeling stuck on the treadmill should consider doing the same.