Dreaming of the Country

Looking at photo's taken on my last trip back home to the country in Queensland has left me feeling somewhat nostalgic. The memories leave me longing for the familiar aspects that seem so deeply ingrained in my thoughts from my growing up years. The smell of the hot sun and dust coating on my skin as I took a walk at the farm to check the crops with my grandparents. The taste of strawberries picked in the heat, still warm from the sun, which taste so sweet and delicious yet at the time I hardly noticed. The ease with which people from the country relate, in good old fashioned hospitality and honesty and integrity. The strong sense of community and belonging which forms when you are born and bred somewhere small. The ability to not take life or one's own importance too seriously. Time has been very kind to me and I remember with affection the great things I gained from the country and the first part of my life. The not so good has gradually faded into a distant and hazy memory. I still dream of a life in the country yet appreciate and enjoy our "city" life we have right now. Who am I kidding, we do after all live in just a big country town. It just comes with water views, fabulous shops, divine restaurants and interesting people, beautiful buildings and many more treasures. We are living the sweet life already.