Daydream Island – Part 2: The Consequences

As soon as I had irreversibly made the decision to leave Canberra and all my family and wonderful friends to go live and work on my tropical island in sunshiny North Queensland, Australia, I was hit by a storm of emotions that is hard to describe. Fear, loss, a serious case of the scaredy-cats about my ability to exist without my people or to perform even the most basic event management skills reined. It was crazy!!!!

Every day I’d wake up with worries and stupid fears. And every day Queen Suebah would reassure me with her own special calm loving logic that I not only would do this, but it’d be the greatest adventure of my life, all while smiling down on me benevolently. Now those of you that know me, know Queen Suebah (my Momma) is my very best friend in the entire world and together we are unashamedly real life Gilmore Girls, it’s true! So it was inconceivable to me that we wouldn’t see each other everyday and even weirder that she was gently pushing me out the door.

My last week in Canberra became one long goodbye, followed closely by uncontrollable and sporadic spontaneous sobbing as I so reluctantly said farewell to each and every one of my amazing friends and family. I’m still overwhelmed by all the words of love and support you guys gave with parties, dinners and offers to help in the rush and busyness of that last week; if I am half the gal you reckon I am, then I know I’ll be OK. Your belief in me made me feel strong and capable and excited to do this.

Finally, the day arrived and the dreaded 5am departure time was upon me, my intermittent uncontrollable sobbing caused some poor stranger in the seat next to me great discomfort and alarm, but by the time I was half an hour out of Canberra I pulled myself together.

I felt the first twinges of excitement about all that was in front of me trigger, and before I knew it, I had a massive grin on my face and my nose pressed up against the window looking out at the stunning colours below me as the plane circled above the Whitsundays and Hamilton Island as we got ready to land.

Having already frightened the life out of a fellow passenger that day with my heightened emotions, I restrained myself completely and refrained from throwing my arms out wide embracing the warmth and sunshine that welcomed me as I stepped down from the plane, nor did I kiss the ground in true Pope fashion – but I felt like it.

Within seconds I knew in a crazy way I was home, as everything felt familiar somehow. Just a short 30 minute ferry ride gliding my way through the archipelago of islands that make up the Whitsundays, I spotted my island home of Daydream Island. My new life was about to begin and despite the roller coaster of emotions I’d experienced over the last week, or perhaps because of them, I am incredibly grateful to be feeling it all.

I’m pretty sure as we pulled into the jetty at Daydream Island I saw a Unicorn grinning at me from the rainforest too.

Read Daydream Island – Part 1: The Decision

TO BE CONTINUED……