Rural Dreaming @ Work

There are no windows in our office.  We only have windows at the front and the front is reception and the manager's office.  We are behind the wall and wherever I look I see walls.  Clients come to me and say it's hot or cold or a storm is coming.  I smile and nod.  I have no idea.  I wish I could see, I wish I could sit and gaze out of a window, just for a minute.  Stretch my eyes, my body, my mind, steal a few moments for slipping into another world.

Our lunch room is made up of 4 walls, none have a window. But it isn't just a lunch room, it is our archive room so when sitting down to eat, 3 of the 4 walls are filled with old files, watching, encroaching, suffocating.  I don't bother going outside anymore to escape, beyond the building it is dirty and noisy and rough and everyday the cops are called to deal with a situation at the bus terminal down the road.

I'm over the cabin fever now.  I am used to these walls, the subtle feeling of compression no longer bothers me.  My eyes are used to all the artificial lightening.  I dream about escaping, about an office with windows and fresh air.  About seeing the sun from my desk and being close enough to stick my hand out and feel it's rays.

I have a picture on one wall of my little cubicle. A picture of a worn track leading from one paddock into another and wrapping itself out of the frame.  The sky is overcast and looking at the picture I can feel myself standing on the track wrapping my coat tighter over me and taking deep breaths, allowing the cool crisp air to fill my lungs, my body, bringing me back to life.  I see myself walking along the track, it takes the turn and I run through the green grass. Childish laughter explodes out of my body as I run around in freedom with nothing holding me back.

As a run I spin around a few times and purposefully fall to the ground. My hands search over the grass, the soft edges tickling away whatever anxiety I had left. Looking up I see home. I casually walk through the grass and up onto the verandah and make my way into my study. My desk is directly in front of the window. I open the window and allow the fresh air to fill the room. I sit and gaze through the frame and all around I can see the fulfilment of my rural dreams. And the memories of my time working in an office have been stuffed in a box down the back of the mind in a place not to be opened again.

It's Finally Arrived

I have been waiting 9 months for this moment and I feel about a week ago it arrived.  The shift into Autumn finally came about in our little part of the world.  The weekend was wonderful with lots of light drizzly rain, and as I lay back onto our couch with the window open, a crisp breeze floated through and ran across me.  The air was so fresh and cool and alerted me to the fact that we were now truly in Autumn, my favourite time of year.  I almost cried I felt so good. 

This time of year is truly magical.  The light is different, it is softer and in the afternoon everything lights up with a glow, a gentle warm radiation without the harshness of the Summer sun.  There is nothing better than being outside on a Sunny day basking in the warmth of the sun with a light cool breeze occasionally meandering around, that makes you snuggle into your clothes just a little bit more.  

Ah! the snuggling.  Lazy days inside, cuddled up in blankets and devouring good books with a sneaky glass of full bodied red wine in the other hand. And if you are so fortunate, the crackling of an open fire provides perfect background noise. 

For me the most enchanting thing about this time of year is that it takes me back to our wedding.  A perfect Autumn day followed by a late lunch in front of an open fire.  Which of course is the best way to spend these Autumnal Days.  We married in the country.  A place that feels like home everytime we visit.  We always ended up in this country town in the Autumn and one time as we were driving through admiring the red, gold and brown leaves on the trees, I made the suggestion that perhaps we should get married there.  Hubby was sold on the idea once we checked out a 100 year old Guesthouse, we knew we didn't need to look any further.  

While this season has a special place in our hearts, so does that country town.  It feels like home because one day it will be.  It is the only place I have ever been that just feels right deep down.  The one place that makes me think, yes, I could stay here for the rest of my life.  And this season brings back all those wonderful memories, and as I find myself reaching for another layer of clothing, I start to dream about our future and wondering what other wonderful memories are yet to be created.

The Rural Escape - Reason #1

One reason I set up this blog was because I wanted a space to dream about our goal of one day living in rural Australia on a very large parcel of land with all the animals and plants we can possibly get away with.  I love where I am now, but I do get frustrated, so in an attempt to focus on my goal, make me smile and get out all my frustrations, I felt it was time to start making a list of reasons why we want this dream.

I want our Rural Escape so I can walk around my backyard naked if I choose too.  Now, I do not walk around my backyard naked here.  I have never walked around naked outside my house ever before in my life.  However, should I suddenly feel like doing so, it would be nice to know I would have the freedom to step out the back door and go for a stroll in total confidence that no one can see me.

Our house now.  On the Eastern side, we sit above our neighbour, we can see everything that goes on in their backyard, including the recent birthday party they had for one of the children.  We can also see what goes on in the backroom as the large windows do not have any window dressings.  Just to be clear, we do not make a habit of looking over, we are not those kind of neighbours, and I make a point of keeping my head down and not looking over, but we can if we want.

To our West, our neighbours are higher than us and as such can sneak a look into our yard.  I know this because our sliding door faces directly from a bedroom window in the neighbours house and when a van pulled up in front of our house with our blinds, I went around every room pulling off the sheets we used as a temporary cover and there was our neighbour 'having a sticky' from her window.  The first of many such "Stickys".

Hubby and I are very private people, we like our lives to be private and we respect other people's privacy, Hubby is from a small acreage himself.  It would just be really nice to walk outside knowing no one can see you.  In a world where everything is recorded having our own truly private oasis would be a little slice of heaven.