We’ve been driving from Margs to Denmark. It doesn’t take two days to drive that far, but we’re taking our time and stopped for the night in Manjimum overnight.

I drove this time, the roads were straight but I accidentally packed the L-plates too far in the middle of the car to reach. Pretty soon Jon nodded off and I just drove quietly through the windy roads of the South West Forest region.

It’s a truly magnificent area of the world, one we are very lucky to experience. On both sides of the road there are thick forests of tall Karri and Marri and probably Jarrah trees. On the road shoulders are the startings of wildflowers with tiny white and yellow blossoms. With each kilometer that slips under the tyres, we move a little further from the situation that wreaked havoc on our lives.

I’m struggling on this trip, a bit because I’ve always struggled with change, and a bit because of the depression and anxiety I’ve fallen into. Jon and I have always been so private about our lives, that sharing what we went through for the last 18 months is very foreign. We both agree though that maybe sharing what happened to us, and how we feel is part of our journey home.

We will share our stories with you, not all at once because it’s an awful lot to take on board, but we will.

We’ve filled in the last two days with stopping in a few very quirky places. Walpole to see some absolutely stunning tulips. They’ve decorated the streets with pots of natural colour and it genuinely made me happy to stop and smell the tulips. For so long, we’ve been living our lives to someone else’s schedule that it’s so nice to just experience life for what it is.

We woke up early and did the Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk which was absolutely stunning. What better way to realise just how small you are by walking amongst the tops of the giants. There’s quite a few stunning logs out there, one with a massive knob on the side!

We stumbled across the Elephant Rock Cider Company who apparently have the ‘Best burger in the West’.

We set up camp in Denmark – we’ve pitched a tent for 4 nights to explore the region. Once we’d settled in, we sat under the stars by candle light (thanks for the idea dad!). We met our neighbour who I don’t remember his name but he has a dog called Hamish who is very lovely.

(His name was Michael everyone, but I didn’t know the dogs name, what a team. Back to Tan.)

Every day is a bit easier in some ways, but also more difficult in others. We’re used to being in each other’s space because of the last two years, but we’re trying to find our new rhythm. That does mean learning to live with all our added baggage. We’ve found were really good at working as a team, but I do get pretty snappy when I’m down, or hungry. Jon’s putting up with me very well, making sure I get in puppy pats when I can, and keeping a steady stream of snacks handy. That alone probably saves me haha!

We’ve got a big few days ahead of us, exploring, fishing and swimming if it’s not too cold!

Peace out pastaroonies.

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