Thinking Allowed: The other side of the door, The other side of the planet

We have settled into normal life in Canberra. The girls are back to wearing their patriotic (French) uniforms, I run with the roos and the cockatoos, we drive to all our activities, the tulips are in bloom, our boxwood honey is thick and treacly. We made it. Honestly, we didnt think we would and we are still overcoming the stressors of our journey and our disbelief at the calm little bubble we have entered. Here in Canberra it is easy to forget about the rest of the world. People here hug and share food.

When we were in strict quarantine we longed for it to be over. But then being set free was a shock. Our bodies had to reacclimatize to outdoor weather. The sounds and chaos of other people sent us into sensory overload. We forgot how to multitask. But as we got used to other humans again and as we ran around reinstating our lives we all realized we missed parts of quarantine. In quarantine there was nowhere we had to be. We were forced into simply being with each other. I realize now that the complex interactions of six humans and their varying needs is not only enough but overflowing. Realizing the good parts of our forced isolation was revealing. We wouldnt rush at the chance to do it again but we came out stronger knowing we as a family can form fond memories of being locked in a room for two weeks. I think that is an empowering thing to know and I will use that knowledge to my advantage on long car rides. Now we will slowly re learn to multitask and bask in the sunshine until the world is ready for us again.