By Dan
Tuesday 14th of March 2017
When was the last time you took a holiday? And when was the last time you took a holiday and proceeded to do nothing, other than let go of every single worry that existed in your life?
It's been a while right? Me too. So, when Richelle and I quit our jobs, sold all of our possessions (except for our car, that thing will never sell) and moved in with my parents (so that we could travel the world) a month ago, you could forgive us for not knowing what to do with ourselves.
It's interesting how our bodies instinctively remember how to behave in a place they've been before. And it was very obvious that mine hadn't forgotten the status quo of my parents house when a day after moving in I could so easily slide myself onto the lounge and sleep for half the day. There really isn't much else comparable to my parents house. Unconditional love, a large supply of Milo and most importantly no rent, what more could a couple of twenty-six year olds ask for? We were teenagers again!
Well not really. We had a whole trip to organise and our previous working selves to forget. These are responsibilities teenage Dan & Richelle wouldn't be able to handle.
Scratch that. Richelle would've been able to do it easily.
To give you some context, my parents live at the "foothill of the Blue Mountains" in a slow-to-wake suburb called Mulgoa. It's halfway between Penrith (the place that no one likes) and Warragamba (the place where you get your water from). As a child I always thought that meant something important, like if there was ever an apocolypse I'd have access to fresh water without having to worry about the rest of the population. That's child logic for you.
They live on a 25 acre property worthy of a postcard (or travel blog) and they share the space with four horses, four dogs, and a cat that thinks he's a dog, so five dogs. And for the last month they've had the pleasure of sharing it with myself, Richelle and Frida (our cat).
As Frida will be living with mum and dad while we're away, we thought it was important to quit our jobs a month early and help her settle in. Because, as every cat person knows, it's their way or the highway. All hail our cat overlords!
But in all seriousness, taking time off has been a fucking dream. I cannot express the how important this time has been for Richelle and myself. Not only for our own personal recovery and preparation, but also to get back in touch with the things that career-driven millennials don't have time for. The simple things that we tend to take for granted. Like saying good morning to your dad, cuddling your mum, running around the backyard with your dogs, telling them all that you love them, eating cereal in your undies, waking up late and basically all the other things that you were an expert at as a kid.
But the most important thing for us was hanging out with Frida. Oh Frida how we will miss you. your hot and cold nature. The little scratches you leave on our hands. The belly rubs only to be taken back when there's no time to get your hand away. The way your grey and white fur looks like a tiny little cardigan. You get it. We love her.
So, as Richelle and I sit here at our gate drying our tears, we can't help but reflect on the past month and think about it as one of the better ones together. What the hell does that mean for the next ones!?
Love, Dan & Richelle xx
Oh, and a special (and obvious) shout out to mum & dad for letting us stay! We love you guys and please take care of Frida!