I’ve never really understood this big piece of nothing that people keep referring to. Yes, it’s endless outback. But the most random things always keep breaking up the ‘nothingness’ into ‘somethingness’. You’ll see.
These were the words of Faith, a rolling power woman I met in Malaysia. After having spent months and months along the backroads of Australia, her path crossed mine in a modest hostel on Penang island. She knew the outback she was talking about, probably better than most born Australians ever will.
It’s not like I didn’t believe her then and there. But it’s not until now that I’ve truly taken in the words.
This is me riding through nothing. Along dirt roads that will always, always stretch themselves further than I could ever go. I spend a lot of time looking at birds. Singing. Slowly turning in and out on those long thoughts, you only ever have when without outer impressions for long periods of time.
Then every now and then, somethingness comes along.
Sure. Not very exciting for most people, and therefore not the best example. But after having spent the majority of my still not very long lifetime on the tennis courts around Sweden, this is something for me.
Or at least it was – until LR Bore.
Unexpected things happen while travelling. Some things though, are unexpectedly unexpected. That one thing usually leads to another is a common known fact, and after more than a year of odd travels I consider myself being well aware of this.
Luckily though, life keeps insisting on blowing my socks off.
Expecting the unexpected is generally a good way to go about a lot of things. The mind is limited though, and 2 days of full on cowboy life was definitely not on my list of possible outcomes of following this random sign in search for water.
Imagine a cattle station a la 1.5 million acres and 45 000 cows at mustering season. Then an incredibly friendly bunch of people, with an arsenal of swear words that would make your mother faint. Dress them in cowboy hats and spurs. Feed them endless amounts of beef with every meal. Add a load of dogs, horses, quad and dirt bikes. A helicopter. And lastly, throw in a random Swede who prefers to say Yes rather than No.
Turn on the blender.
Viola!
The nothingness has officially been turned to dust.
Sometimes I struggle to grasp the things I’m actually getting to experience. And don’t have much more to say other than that I am one very, very lucky human being.
Thank you Tess & Cam, Gina, Sam & the rest of you guys for opening up a whole new Australia for me. I will never, ever forget it.
Until next time,
Fredrika
(This post is a preset. I’m currently out riding, hopefully getting close to Alice Springs as this is published.)