A continuation of one story.

Last Friday, we had a plan.

It was going to be a productive weekend: we needed to finish up shopping for school supplies. We needed to head into Bunnings (the AUS equivalent of ‘Home Depot’) for a long list of things that supposedly would make our life easier in the house.

Then we received a text from my sister-in-law that basically said: Wanna go to the beach?

And so we chucked our plans and went to the beach on Saturday.

It was actually the Boat Harbor Aquatic Reserve, an area that required a 4-wheel-drive to get to. Our Kia wasn’t going to cut it, so BIL (brother-in-law) offered to pick us up at a specific point and their Pathfinder took us right onto the beach, backing up to the water’s edge. I watched in fascination as they turned their car into a shelter by pulling out a side awning from the top of the car and anchoring the two poles into the sand.

Genius.

And it seems to be what every other car was equipped with to provide shelter against the sun.

“We so aren’t ready for beach life, Aussie-style,” I muttered to no one.

The Aquatic Reserve is perfect for little ones, harbored from large waves and strong currents. Saturday’s conditions were particularly calm, and the area was full of families with younger children. It was the type of beach that was good for V to reacquaint herself with the surf. I watched her curl and uncurl her toes as she felt the tickle of sand. The older she gets, the more sensitive she is to texture, sounds, and most sensations. But when I asked her to wade through the water with me, she gave it a go, squealing at every step!

My daughter teaches me to keep trying, even when it’s hard.

And it’s hard for her every day.

When she returned to her towel to sit and take in everything around her, I took advantage of all my family being happily occupied by walking the length of the little harbor. I’m enjoying the camera on my new iPhone and have begun to experiment with shots, angles, and filters.

As I reached the end of the harbor, I turned and surveyed the wide blue skies, the calm waters with mysterious depths which were clear and inviting. It was a stunning setting. But, suddenly, at a time I thought I was living in the present, I was hit with a yearning for the mountains and hills I left behind in California.

Maybe it’s because they were known to me.

As beautiful and special as the waters that were before me were …are… they are unknown. I have yet to create a relationship with my new environment. I’m confident I will. But I’m still getting to know the land I now live on, the area I live in, the community I'm a part of.

Sometimes, I think the perception of moving forward means we will leave a lot behind. The older I become, the more I FEEL that I will always bring much of my past with me. Starting a new chapter is really a continuation of the same story. Can we reach a satisfactory ending if we forget to tie up loose ends?

The author in me says “no.” But to do that is to mean never forgetting parts of the past that may not be the ones we want to remember. We're pulled forward and backwards constantly over our lifetime, creating ripples in this tide called time.

#50to50 list of DONE:

1) Move to the Sierras.

2) Homeschool.

3) Visited Yosemite with the children.

4) Discovered a new walking route to the Lake.

5) Tried a new coffee place: Cup of Cherries.

6) Buy a car from the other side of the world – untested and apparently wrapped in plastic.

7) Lunched at a new restaurant: Riva Grill by the Lake.

8) Drive from the Sierras to Los Angeles ALONE.

9) Attend a BTS Concert.

10) Eat in Korea Town, Los Angeles.

11) Pull over on the I-5 to stick duct tape under my car.

12) Drive to Los Angeles three times in a month.

13) Move a family to the other side of the world.

14) Move into a house I’ve never seen before.

15) Live in the Shire.

16) Go uniform shopping in Australia.

17) Attend the Sydney Tennis Classic at Ken Rosewall Stadium.

18) Buy furniture from Gumtree . com . au

19) Buy my now-legal-to-drink-in-Australia-aged son a beer.

20) Go to Wanda Beach.

21) Visit the Hazelhurst Gallery.

22) View art from the Archibald Prize finalists.

23) Have coffee and milkshakes (with the children) at Bacchus Café.

24) Attend a musical at the Lyric Theatre: ‘Hamilton.’

25) Go to Boat Harbor Aquatic Reserve, Kurnell.

26) Visit the Museum of Contemporary Arts, Sydney.

27) Have brunch at the Rocks (The Rocks Café).

28) Enrol children in Australian public schools.