Exiting Australia

"Because Australia is entirely peopled by criminals, as everyone knows!"

Our family used to play a board game--usually RISK--every Saturday morning. My dad would go out and buy donuts--a dozen or two--and we'd spend the morning quite happily playing games together.
When we played RISK, I would usually pick some small area of 4-5 countries in which to place all of my armies--ideally, this area would be Australia. I'd let all of my armies in countries spread across the world perish as I massed an unstoppable force in Australia, ready to take over the world! The thing was, though, that I never did get to the taking-over-the-world part. I remember my dad, one of these mornings, looking at my mountain of armies all holed up in Australia and saying, "I just don't see what your strategy is, and every week I'm waiting to see what you're going to do."

My strategy, all along, was to work and save and use time and luck in order to build myself up until I was unstoppable. My plan was to sacrifice some--two armies in Iceland, two armies in Congo--but really, to risk little until I felt more stable.



This is how I feel about my life right now. I feel like I've massed up all the troops that this little continent can hold, and that it is time--finally time!--to find out what is next. I'm to the point in my life now where I feel like I've earned and saved and built myself up, and now its time to act--to leave my comfort zone--leave Australia--and be a grown up--venture out into the rest of the world. I have sacrificed some--more than I would like to admit at times, and I have risked some--more than I thought I would--and I think I know now that I'll never really feel more stable. It's not about stability after all, but about balance.

So, for my first big transitional move into adulthood, Steve (for how could any of this be done without Steve!) and I have made an offer on a house! It's a sweet little house just a few miles away from the clinic which is to be my home away from home. It's in a circle, and has a big, lovely yard. I'm already envisioning the summer parties I am going to have in that yard!



This is a giant leap for me, but I promise, it's only the beginning! I'm excited and terrified, but optimistic that things will work out splendidly. Thank you for being a part of my journey, and for your love and support in my life.