There have been times in my life when the unexpected was a surprise. But other times when things unexpected happened just as planned. This is more the latter. Our decision to move from Alice Springs to Adelaide has been good..so far. In our heart of hearts we thought it would be. And the unexpected is being managed…however…it has not been uncomplicated…for example this is my third attempt to write about this transition phase.

We are house-sitting for good friends and generous (trusting) souls while they are overseas and we are getting our new apartment set up for the next chapter of our life. While we would loved to have been able to move straight into the new apartment, it was clear six months ago that was not going to be possible and has even turned out for the best. Yes. Sometimes when we don’t get what we want, it is good. Here in Li’l Mexico, our friends’ lovingly crafted homage to all things Mexican and their love of collecting, we have been given a glimpse of life near the water. We have had daily walks to the beach and the local creek where eight ducklings hatched about the time we arrived. Now there are seven, nearly half the size of the parents. We travel by train into the city several times a week to attend appointments and various issues of residence in an apartment that is on the 33rd floor, opposite from our current experience. As a new daily life it has been a tsunami of information and skill building from which I wish I could say I am sleeping soundly. I am not and that confounds me.

In the five weeks since we arrived, between the two of us we have had 8 medical appointments to five different doctors, three deliveries of furnishings, with two yet to come. We have established new connections including the big one—internet service, but then we also received notification from Qantas that our account details had been compromised and are now on the ‘dark web’ so now we are trying to sort those out. And Don has just now received word the Alice Springs eye specialist has given incorrect information and his referral is void so he will have to get another one. This is a very complicated world we humans have created, have you noticed?

No one, least of all us, knows exactly how it will play out, but so far, it’s been fob-ulous. No, that is not a misspelling. When we first moved into Li’l Mexico we were given a ‘fob’ to the main garage door. We have never had a garage, let alone a garage door, let alone a fob for one. 

A couple of weeks later we received our second ‘fob’. It was the ‘key fob’ to our new apartment. Along with it we received another garage ‘fob’ to park our car in our own space at the apartment building.

The following week we realised we had some small pieces of furniture stored here in Li’l Mexico’s second garage. We could fit it into our car (which has a keyless entry fob) and move it into the new apartment, but first we had to get it out of the second garage and that required a different fob to raise and lower the door, which we eventually worked out. All this ‘fobbing’ is a mental exercise in itself.

Are you getting the picture? If Life gets any more fob-ulous we won’t be able to stand it. But the whole ‘fob thing’ is a metaphor reflecting the new aspect of life we have chosen. And it says to me, wake up! The world is changing and you are about to change too!

We only brought three small items of furniture with us from Alice so we have finally finished the shopping for all the replacement furniture and appliances. Last Thursday was the first of five deliveries, not including our first little addition of the small desk and chair we had stored. The final and fifth delivery will be our belongings from Alice next week. This is work. We take the train into the city most days and walk our legs off to do things. Once we are in the apartment we will not have to travel so much.

Meanwhile we are trying to soak up the beach vibe and the comforts of Li’l Mexico where we have landed gratefully and according to the wisdom of the Universe.

Bloom where you are planted (and fobbed).