Black Rocks ocean river love

Camping in beach side 

forest freedom

waking up to birds songs

your eyes are close to touching 

mine your lashes 

caress my cheek

where are we

let's never go back

go anywhere 

else 

but here

I feel the sand 

crispy between my teeth

lick my salty lips

grab a handful of Australian days

seize them 

dunk them in love

until rivers flood 

with desire to stay 

let's stay

and keep floating

for the rest of our days.

Grampians goodness

Put four girls in a car. Add music, crisp white goon and a great plan to go camping in the Grampians. Magic happens and good times roll about. The goon (for non-aussies: a 5 liter box of cheap wine) hardly made it through the first night and we didn't quite make it through the second day. Gravity was hard to be maintained so we decided to chill in rock pools and walk along the lake. 

I don't know if it was the interminable goon sipping, the sound of wildlife around the tent or the ultimately beautiful starry sky, but I slept with my eyes open that night. After 24 hours of recovering, we decided to spend the last day exploring like there was no tomorrow. And we did! We got up early and headed straight for beautiful lookouts. It was a cloudy morning. So the view was a cloud. The afternoon brought sunshine and waterfalls, actual gorgeous views and a sunburn. And kangaroos! I couldn't help but yell out every time one crossed our path. Imagine my enthusiasm when we saw fields FULL of them! I went mad with fluffy kangaroo love.

Les gens que j'aime

I'm back where it all started four years ago. On the edge of Australian dreams and reality. One last week of Brussels itching my skin like grandma's knitted sweater. Enjoying freedom and wine in a dark corner on a comfy couch. In the bar with windows that look out on the world outside while inside loud chatter in almost all languages makes cheeks blush. Is it the rising of the temperatures or the falling of night? The evenings start early. Streetlights are needed after five. I hide in all my favourite places. I'm here, yes I'm home.

In one week I'm flying. What if I stay? What if finally I'm starting to fit in? It's fine baby, it's all good. Feeling at home is sweet, but so is shaking things up. Taking a plane to far away lands I learnt how to be by myself anyway. What I built up in Brussels, I can build anywhere. Missing is loving. There is no losing in this game, only gaining. 

Gaining strength, knowledge, new perspectives, friends, love. Worldwide. Music will always be my healer and so is writing. Life's essentials. Eyes to see details and smile at strangers, ears that listen to stories and lyrics, goosebumps from music and love, tears for memories and laughter for what is now. No grass is greener than here and now. And my garden is fluorescent, glow in the dark green at the moment. 

I wish you a garden so green you have to wear sunglasses to water the flowers.

Soon: off to new adventures. Australian night skies will replace my bedroom ceiling.

Love and excitement!

Creatures of the underground

Vegemite, the Southern Cross, AFL, big chunks of meat on a barbie, surfers and crazy killer animals. Australia in a nutshell. There is a lot to love about this country, but the sneaky beasts hiding under water (crocodiles, sharks, stingray) or in the bushes (snakes, spiders, anything that has too many legs or likes to suck my Belgian chocolate blood) are another story. Before coming to the land Down Under, I found it hard to imagine people living at peace in a place filled with animals that are ready to attack you. How do Aussies survive when sharing their home with the deadliest creatures in the world? Even koalas have claws! The idea of camping here made my heart sink to my stomach. But now my Australian adventure is coming to an end, my only fear is I'm going to miss those little killers.

On far-flung adventures I worked on a cattle station in the outback. I learned to be aware at all times. Especially while gardening snakes loved to pop up and scare the shit out of me. Spiders would keep me out of my sleep. And a baby cow jumped on my big toe. She didn't like it when I called her Steak.