2021 In Review

*My exhilaration after free-climbing to the top of Bell Rock in Sedona, Arizona, USA*

You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief as we round out another chaotic year that was 2021, but it seems to be coupled with a sense of foreboding about what may lay around the corner. The frailty and uncertainty of life has been a topic weighing on my mind throughout much of 2021 as I experienced the loss of my step-father at the beginning of the year, and have grieved with others on losses of their own family members. Mother Nature has proven that once again, she will breathe fire and fury over whoever walks in her path, and she’s particularly shown us this year just how explosive her power really is. Her intensity seems to be growing each year - but are enough of the right people ready to hear her message? How significant are we humans really, in the grand scheme of things? Do we really have the power to change the course of the trajectory of the planet, or are we just mere mortals on a tiny blip of the infinite Universe? So many questions to ponder at this time of year, most which will go unanswered, but at the very least, we can try and look after our own little patch. As the recently departed Desmund Tutu says:

On a personal note, 2021 has had some exhilarating highs, and some saddening lows. It started with a wonderful New Year’s Eve party in New York - not in Times Square which didn’t allow crowds due to COVID, but in our wonderful Airbnb loft that we snagged at a bargain price. We had champagne, glow sticks, Cheeto-puffs, music and ourselves - what more could one want? Visiting New York in winter, during COVID, really was an unexpected gift. We got to enjoy fairytale-like outdoor dining, very few crowds, and no line-ups for visitor attractions. When else could you say that about New York?

To say I was shocked the first time I heard Laura Ingraham on Fox News would be an understatement, I even filmed it. Whilst I didn’t agree with most of the Fox opinion-based journalism I watched (if you can call it that), it did educate me about the conservative side of US politics and gave me a greater understanding of many of the people we were living amongst in The South. Laura, Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity are household names in US conservative circles, and for some strange reason I wanted to have my photo with them!

*The view from the Empire State Building*

After a wonderful road-trip through the North East of the US, we came back to Memphis with a bit of a thud upon learning of the passing of my step-father, Rod Wortley. Along with thousands of others, I was unable to get home to Australia for the funeral and had to watch online from afar. I wrote about it here:

How Do We Cope With Loss - In A Pandemic World?

*A favourite photo of Rod with my four children, Easter 2015*

It then seemed fitting that the following day, in my numbness and pain, the Capitol Building was attacked by supporters of President Trump. This was an image I took of the TV as I was watching it live:

Earlier in the day, a beautiful, intelligent girlfriend had dropped off some flowers to me in sympathy. Knowing she was a Republican voter and Trump supporter, my husband mentioned she was lucky she wasn’t in Washington DC with all that was going on. She surprised us when she said she wished she was and mentioned that the rest of the family were going there to march. There are some things in the US that just baffle me and I’ll never reconcile them in my mind, this is one of them.

I LOVED writing about the working dogs I had the pleasure to meet in Vermont, and then read about at the Twin Towers Memorial site in New York.

“There is something magical about dogs - particularly working dogs - that gives you a sense that a greater force is at work through these beautiful creatures. Their mission to happily complete a task for their master to the best of their abilities is something to behold. Successful working dogs are intelligent, intuitive, hard-working, dedicated, and loyal; and like all dogs, offer unconditional love. They also display a sense of wisdom that can act as a wonderful teacher to us humans - from living unselfishly, putting the pack first, and living for the moment. Their importance to us is far-reaching, but only when we look really closely do we see just how much we can learn from them.” The full blog post can be found here:

The Wisdom of Dogs.

In February, Mother Nature showed us the full force of her power with an ice storm and two snow storms in Memphis, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in about 40 years. One of my kids say that it was the best week of their life!

I managed to escape the snow though, and after multiple flight cancellations and delayed flights, I arrived at the majestic and spiritual Sedona, Arizona, for a personal wellness retreat. It was quite an intense few days, followed by an invigorating trek up Bell Rock where I had to dig deep and conquer some fears.

This was definitely a highlight of my 2021, and I continue to be inspired by the intriguing man that took me up the mountain, UFO lawyer Peter Gersten. You can read all about it in this blog post:

You Can Do It.

Also in February, we managed another quick trip to Nashville where the kids were fascinated with ‘Music Row’!

In March we travelled over Spring Break. We were lucky to be able to toss up many interstate options to visit, but in the end, Disneyworld Florida won out. We had a blast at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and EPCOT and enjoyed some warmth in the Florida sun.

*Spaceship Earth ride, EPCOT, Disneyworld*

On this trip, we also we visited the historic Selma, famous for the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the ‘March to Freedom’ led by Martin Luther-King in March, 1965.

“Almost by design, the Edmund Pettus Bridge provided one of the most indelible images of the terror of the Jim Crow South. Rev Martin Luther King Jr was no stranger to Alabama - having waged civil rights campaigns in Montgomery in 1955 and Birmingham in 1963 - chose Selma as the stage for the fight over voting rights because it was representative of many cities of the Deep South, where African-Americans were a majority of the population, but a minority of registered voters.” From the article ‘Who was Edmund Pettus’, Smithsonian Magazine.

And Easter in April saw us visit the very funky Tucson, Arizona and the historic Tombstone, with some US friends.

Most importantly though, March and April was when the US vaccinated me against COVID-19. I was extremely grateful to the US at that time - for both the vaccination and the travel we’d been able to do. I expressed this gratitude, along with more stories of those recent travels, in the following blog post:

Grateful Aussie in the US.

Also around this time, there were approximately 40,000 Australians registered on the DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) register as wanting to come home to Australia. It was almost impossible to get back due to the international border closure, and sadly, it seems many Australian’s were quite happy about keeping us locked out. They thought those stranded abroad only had themselves to blame as they were “told to come home in March 2020”, which as I wrote in the following blog post, was a lie perpetuated by all the leaders in our country. It was a very strange feeling to be essentially locked out of your own country, knowing that the Australian value of ‘mateship’ no longer held any power within the country. As they say, you learn who you really are when the times are tough. Here is an excerpt of the post:

“Most Australians abroad agree with the the strict procedures that Australia has put in place to keep the country COVID safe; and are more than happy to do what is required of them to get home. Most don’t need a handout, but they do need a flight, and for so many this has been an enormous, often heart-breaking and financially crippling struggle. But even that has not been the hardest thing for many; it’s the misinformation and duplicitousness from the highest leaders of the land, the media messaging, the double standards, the ‘passing the buck’ between Federal and State Governments and their lacklustre willingness to enable citizens to come home that has irritated them the most. Yes, it’s a pandemic and we’re in unprecedented times, but many of these people feel abandoned by their own country, and are beginning to feel like first world refugees.”

And here is the full post: #strandedaussies - Abandoned part 4

In April, I was intrigued to see where the fabulous Tina Turner came from, as we visited the town of Nutbush where she grew up. I learnt that the Nutbush dance is uniquely Australian - most Americans have no idea what you’e talking about when you mention it!

Early May, I was excited to learn that Morgan Freeman’s ‘Ground Zero Blues Club’ in Clarksdale, Mississippi, was open again, after closing for more than one year due to COVID. It was the excuse I needed to wrestle some of the family to head down for a couple of days. It didn’t disappoint. That part of the world has so much interesting history, I think I could spend a year there photographing and researching and I still would only scratch the surface.

*Delta Blues Alley Cafe Car, Clarksdale, Mississippi*

Mural in Clarksdale. “Leo “Bud” Welch began his professional career as a musician at the age of 81 with the release of his debut album in 2014. For half a century, Welch earned his living by logging and mule plowing in the hills of North Mississippi, playing occasionally with local gospel groups and for close family and friends. Although the Mississippi-born bluesman began playing the guitar in 1945, he remained well under that radar before being secretly recorded during a 2013 performance at the 50th birthday party for the man who would become his manager. He passed away in December 2017.

The remaining few weeks of May was a blur of final catch ups, kids farewells, end of school graduations, packing, and all the administration involved with moving a family of six across the world again. I also embarked on ‘My Memphis in May’ on my instagram account where I reflected on all my favourite Memphis memories. And I thoroughly enjoyed (too much) trying out some brunch places I hadn’t got around to visiting. A favourite was ‘Sunrise Memphis’ with delicious food and interesting artworks.

And then we left…. with heavy hearts and mixed emotions. I certainly left a piece of my heart in Memphis, and I learnt so much about myself while I was there.

We headed out West, going through some unbelievable countryside - Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, the corners of Colorado and Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. It was spectacular and felt straight out of the movies. Here’s a few favourite photos:

*Blue Swallow Motel, Route 66 @ Tucumcari, New Mexico*

*Amargosa Hotel, Death Valley, California*

Then it was time to fly back to Australia and into two weeks of hotel quarantine in Sydney.

*Planes flew back to Australia with as little as 20 passengers on them*

The whole experience was certainly one to remember, and I’ve documented it all here:

Welcome to Australia - Hotel Quarantine Style.

A favourite moment was when the beautiful Beccy Blue arranged a package for us:

*Smiles all round with the package of Australian goodies*

We were extremely grateful to the company my husband works for as we were some of the lucky ones able to get home in the middle of 2021.

Despite some difficulties, we eventually made it to Adelaide to see my family, then finally back to Melbourne.

*Henley Beach, Adelaide, South Australia*

Over the remaining six months of 2021, we spent four months in lockdown; and we’re talking Melbourne lockdown which means no travel past 5kms from your home, no open shops except essential services, and no home visits. In some ways, it was a good way to decompress from the intense 2.5 years we’d had living abroad, but in other ways, it was extremely challenging. We often wondered if we’d made the right decision in coming home seeing that I couldn’t even visit my grieving mother in South Australia. Thankfully the borders have now reopened and I’ve seen Mum, but I’m still yet to see my sister who lives in Western Australia, whose borders won’t open until February 2022.

It was interesting to compare COVID responses between two countries. It felt like we went from one extreme in the US to the other extreme in Melbourne, Victoria, the most locked down city in the world. Despite the enormous death toll in the US, there were some positives of the US COVID response that became clearer to me once I came home, and I documented them here:

Some Positives of the US COVID Response.

*The handmade quilt made by the Memphis teacher and gifted to the Adelaide CEO*

In August, I shared a short, true story about a quilt and kindness. A story both beautiful and tragic, that traverses three continents, during a global pandemic, with a wonderfully synchronistic element. You can read it here:

Stitches of Kindness.

And I was excited when a photo I took titled ‘Lockdown Feels’ was shown on the ABC News.

*‘Lockdown Feels’ - shown on the ABC News Weather*

I loved exploring my old backyard of Mt Eliza again, and spent many days walking with friends or taking solo strolls along the beach taking photos.

In September, I wrote about the quandary I was in regarding religion and spirituality. I’m still not much further along with any answers, but I do enjoy reflecting back on this post. Here are a couple of excerpts from the Bible Studies I did that are relevant to all of us:

“Suffering comes into our lives, uninvited. So how will we be shaped by it? Will it form us into bitter, unforgiving, hardened women? Or will we be refined and come out the other side stronger, wiser, and more like Christ? The choice is ours. Even in the most horrific circumstances, the choice is still ours. No one says it better than WWll concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

and

“Your worth is not measured by what you do
Your worth is not measured by whether or not you have a loving husband
Your worth is not measured by the success of your children
Your worth is not measured by how much money you have
Your worth is not measured by what others think of you”

and my owns words about the amazing group of women I shared much time and wisdom with:

“We laughed, we cried, we shared in milestones, and we also shared in misery. It was a beautiful place of authenticity and safe healing.”

You can read the full blog post here:

To Believe is to Receive.

And I just love the colour of this church I came across in Clarksdale, Mississippi:

My love of colour is well known amongst my friends, so it was only fitting that I wrote a blog post on the US based on colour. Some people see the world in words, some in music, and some in images - but I think I see much of the world in COLOUR.

The photo story documented a journey of emotions, through the colour that I experienced in the US and I discussed the meaning of - and my relationship to - each colour, as I went along. It was a fun adventure to delve back into my photos with the purpose of finding colourful photos for this post. You can read the full blog post here:

Colo(u)rs of the USA.

November was a bit of a strange month for me. We were coming out of lockdown, a time where there had been so many varying thoughts running through my mind - of my old life, my US life and my new Australian life. I guess you could say I was muddled. I came across a wonderful word Zozobra - “Zozobra refers to a mode of being that incessantly oscillates between two possibilities, between two affects, without knowing which one of those to depend on … indiscriminately dismissing one extreme in favor of the other. In this to and fro the soul suffers, it feels torn and wounded. It’s the sense of having no stable ground and feeling out of place in the world.” This felt like a great way to explain how I was feeling. There were lots of issues on my mind at the time, including mullets, Indigenous recognition, climate change. ‘The Plan’, guns, grief and kindness, so it was quite the heavy post. You can read it here:

An Assemblage of Thoughts.

*The Liquor Store Bar and Restaurant, Memphis, Tennessee - a fabulous brunch venue*

December needed some lightness, so I reflected on some of the wonderful signage I came across in my time travelling the US. You can read about it here:

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign.

2021 has been another big and stressful year, compounded by moving countries again for our family; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. So much learning and life experience has taken place, and I couldn’t be any more grateful for the opportunities that have been put in my path. I’ve pulled this quote out of my blog post on the The Wisdom of Dogs as it seems apt:

“When we answer the call to journey, often we are rewarded with surprises. With our eyes open we find real magic: there is more to see and experience in our lives than we imagined - even in the small moments. These times of wonder, sent to us by the light, strengthen our hearts, souls and spirits for challenges that also come our way. Thus we pray that our eyes, ears and hearts be open, even in what seem to be mundane times, so that we may enjoy the journey and be up to whatever crosses our path.” Luna Tales - The Wisdom Runners, Deborah Blair.

Finally, here are some words of wisdom I’ve gathered from other sources. Happy New Year and I hope 2022 brings us all more hope, love and light.

And my favourite:

A Letter to My Girls (and Especially My Boy)

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

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