It’s hard to say I’ve settled in to being back in Darwin. To be honest I feel like I’ve barely got my wits about me when everything changes again. Being on board at school is like wave after wave of new information, and just when I feel like I’ve acclimatised there’s something new. Week one passes me in a rush so fast that, if it wasn’t for my daily reflection, I’d have no idea what was going on. Missing Dean hurts, I know it’s only a few weeks and time going fast is a blessing in that regard. I’ve been trying to take the time to spend with family, specifically taking lots of walks with my mum.
There’s a particular mangrove forest that’s always been a special place to mum, and now to me as well. Even though the mosquitos attack like it’s going out of fashion, it’s a place so full of beauty that it boggles the mind. Who knew that somewhere to outwardly insignificant, and so chock full of mud, could be so gorgeous?
We walk here twice in as many days, and I take my camera on both occasions. We’re looking to capture the sweet spot between high tide and accessibility, but we miss it twice. When the water comes up, the boardwalk that winds through the mangrove forest is lost beneath the sea, cutting the end of the walk off to anyone not willing to take a swim in croc haven.
Still, even without getting to the end of the walk, we have a small wade to investigate, and even then we have the sunset to placate us of our walking failures. It reminds me, corny though it might be, that it’s not really the end of the walk that matters, as it is what you see on the way.
So I take my pictures, and I get ready for Monday to come again. Kids, school, learning, trying, failing, trying again. It’s a crazy cycle I’m on here in Darwin, but I’m starting to realise I can be ready for whatever comes next.
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