Road tripping...

July 23, 2011 Kate

The girl at the petrol station this morning told Bren her family had done this trip we are doing around Australia when she was 13. She said she doesn't remember a lot of it but her Mum kept a journal and they pull it out sometimes and read it.

I need to keep a journal. I will keep a journal. From now.

There is so much that happens that I try to memorise as we go. So many smells and thoughts and stories to keep track of.

I want to remember... kicking my family out of the caravan so I could write a blog post a few days ago and looking out of the window to see them skipping. After that afternoon it has become part of our routine, skipping at rest stops, skipping after breakfast, before dinner, after lunch.

I want to remember how Miss Pepper smells everything and often her descriptions are hilarious. This smells like the Booba who lives upstairs's pool room, next to that caravan smells like soggy sauce (soy sauce), Uluru smells like honey, this bathroom smells like fishhies, your hair smells like the Sally with the two odd shoes...

I want to remember that comforting feeling of bringing your home with you where ever you go. Being a turtle. Being able to pop inside for a hoodie. Having your own bed and pillow every night. Being able to stop by the side of the road to make a cuppah. And being so proud of her when she is surrounded by boring, new, all look the same, caravans.

I want to remember the excitement of Miss Pepper's first friend on the road. A little boy called Brandon who brought her wrapped up plastic figurines as prezzies and followed her around the playground.

I want to remember nights when the girls were across the way at the playground, Bren was making a bbq outside, I was making a salad inside and Paul Kelly was playing on the ipad, working his way from A through to Z.

I want to remember how although it sometimes feels tedious listening to tour guides repeat the same words they have told forever over and over, my girls love it. The big two are the perfect age to take in every word, to follow each number on the map, to suck up every bit of information.

I want to remember how they loved the noodling (fossicking for opals) in Cooper Pedy and continued to dig holes and examine the dirt for days after we left that area.

I want to remember how frightened they got of the dummies in the opal mine tours. Dummies dressed up as miners scared the pants off them. Miss Pepper even had nightmares about those big dollies for days afterwards.

I want to remember that driving into a new state was an occasion and how exciting it is to chart our journey on the big map.

I want to remember crafting it up in the car as we drive.

I want to remember the rat plague and the police hunt for the missing caravaner when we first got to the NT. Low flying police planes and lots of police cars on the road. Oh how we hope they find him soon.

I want to remember the looooooong distances we drove through the outback. Looooong distances with only things like a tree full of boots or undies or bottles to break it up.

I want to remember that isolated feeling of being out of internet and phone range for days. Of feeling disconnected but also aware of how much crochet and reading I get done when there's no screens to distract me.

I want to remember how much I am trying to see everything and do everything and notice everything. Including every time one of my girls wants me to see her doing something which is a full time job in itself.

I want to remember changes in the weather, in the vegitation, in the climate...

I want to remember the feeling of awe when we first laid eyes on that rock.

And then the feeling of complete overwhelm watching her change colour as the sun went down.

This is just the list that sprang to mind in the last ten minutes. So many things to do, so many things to keep track of. I'm going to try my best.

I hope things are wonderful in your world.

Yep, I guess this has become a travel blog.