Saying Goodbye to Brindle Creek Sanctuary

As my days at Brindle Creek Sanctuary come to an end, I cannot express how amazing this experience has been for me. Halina took me to a nearby lake, and we were lucky enough to see some local wildlife. We wandered around for a bit just taking it all in.

The solitude surrounding this lake and the sanctuary is refreshing. I never thought I’d come to enjoy a quiet life in the bush. I always considered myself a city person (well, as much of a city as can be found in Hawaii). But life out here is simple and maybe all that city hustle and bustle obscured who I am really meant to be? Maybe I’m one of those people who are one with nature?

Nah, that’s probably taking it a bit too far.

However, I do feel a sort of communion with the wildlife and thoroughly enjoy being among the animals. I dare say that I love their company more than the company of my kind. Is that horribly wrong? If given the choice and money was not an issue, I would give up everything to spend the rest of my days caring for them. It just feels right.

When I leave, I will definitely miss all the bubs, even the naughty ones. I’m not sure I will ever find the peace and harmony in my soul that I’ve found during my time with them. I can only hope that all of our lives continue to keep up the positive path we’re on and that our futures remain bright.

Sometimes I wonder how I can ever go back to “real life” after this, and it seems like an impossible feat. What makes it even harder is knowing that to some very lucky and special people, this is their everyday reality! Now, the trick is to somehow make it my own as well.

Like every busted-up relationship, it will take some time to recover from the loss once I leave Brindle Creek. I admit that I’m dreading the day that I no longer need to wake and feed hungry mouths. But I am reassured knowing they are in good hands, hands that will take care of them. But, who will be there to comfort me?

Round-the-World Trip: Part Deux

The second time you do something is always easier than the first, and planning for my second round-the-world trip was no exception. Despite not really having any solid plans once I’m in Australia, I was confident that things would sort themselves out.

My parents weren’t exactly thrilled when I told them I was going to travel again and would be away for at least a year. My mom took on a fatalistic view of the situation, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop me from leaving again. After all, I’m spending my hard-earned money, and it’s my life to do with as I wish. Her main strategy was to alternate between encouraging and overprotective. She thought I was being a hippy and just hoped I would get it out of my system so I could come home and settle down. My dad simply laughed and shook his head in disbelief. He’s a homebody and would never willingly choose to be away from Hawaii for very long.

I decided to use the same backpack as it had held up pretty well, and, by this point, I had the packing and unpacking of it down to a science. I planned to cut the number of things I brought with me because the 18+ kg pack I left with the on my first trip was a bitch to hump around (although I know people who were lugging 20+ kg around!).

It’s always hard to pack for a long trip because you want to plan for every circumstance, from snowing to sweltering, but can’t. You have to pick clothes and footwear that will survive the harsh conditions of life on the road, continual wash and wear and be made of quick-drying materials. You should also pick things that are comfortable to wear and stuff you really like because you’ll be stuck wearing it over and over.

I also eliminated my first aid kit as I didn’t really use anything from it last time. If a need arose, I could always pick up medicine from a chemist once I arrived. I also ditched extras, such as small gifts from Hawaii for people I met. While this is a very nice gesture, it also added weight that I didn’t need. People would just have to enjoy my sunny disposition and leave it at that.

With my life packed away in boxes once more, it was not difficult to envision living out of a backpack again. While it would be hard to give up all my beloved tv shows and films (especially since I was finally able to catch up to the current seasons), I knew new experiences awaited and was excited for the prospects.