World travel and the taste of belonging.

Several years ago when I was 21..

I went overseas on a working holiday to England.

The 2 years went by in a flash... In this time I saw the diversity of the UK, Scotland and Wales.

Often visiting friends in Chepstow, A small town in the New forest in Wales.

Fun fact: JK Rowling grew up in the small town. It was very mythical.

Here I learnt about paganism, solstices, folklore of fai, fire twirling and how to cook a mean parsnip soup.

Whilst I was in the UK I also lived in the Lake District, 10km into the mountains from the town Penrith.

My mode of transport for 8 months was a steam boat and my legs. It was breathtaking to daily wake to see such diverse and untouched scenescape.

The hotel tried to keep morale at a 1800th century level, with food options like liver pate, limited electircity and a outdoor lardour (pantry).

When my visa expired in 2017 I found myself in Greece on the largest island, Crete. It was here again I noticed the rich culture,

The song, the dance, the food, the arcghology, the language, the mythology...

It fed my soul with something I didn't realise I had been missing.

Crete is a very tradtional island. The uni students sing the athems about their independance on the street with pride and joy.

The bakers bake using tradtional 200+ year old receipes.

There is Minoneon wine baths in the hills and herbs to be gathered for all cold, love and loss remedies.

I was reluctant to leave Greece. Here we ate home made olive oil and watched a different sunset everyday. It was a heaven.

Next was a stint in China, to teach conversational English to kids ranging from 6-15yrs

The culture here again drastically different but lived with a pride, olbligation and understanding.

This is the way, the way is respected and taught through action (sometimes consequence)..

In the school the curricrullum was very tradtional.

The students studied Chinese brush painting, martial art, etique lessons and medtitation.

Most kids here were practising Bhuddhism. The students would often go on excursion to local temples.

Coming back to Australia from both of these places was a culture shock.

I've endevoured ever since to repect culture, language, food and different mindset more.

It's not always easy to relate but unless we try, the planet and environment which we share will suffer..

as we can it is.

I've seen many cultures now both adoring and destroying nature.

It's a crazy contradictory world we live in.