– Australia is a very large country. This is not a surprise – but once you start driving any country you grow to respect size even more. It is helpful that I have travelled across Canada numerous times and have an appreciation for a long drive.
– Camp here is different. This also is not a surprise – but in talking with 5 different camp directors and some other people – it is interesting to see the way the industry has been set up. The majority of outdoor education facilities do not run what they call “holiday camps” – those camps that would run on school breaks. Australia works on a year round school system with 4 terms with two weeks off between three of the terms and summer holidays (during December and January) for the other break. The camps that do run Holiday programs so far tend to be the religiously affiliated camps that I have seen.
– Travelling with an 11 year old is magical. Matthew is going awesome. He listen’s to the conversations and tries to add to them as well. His desire for discovery is unlimited. He is a ball of energy that helps me to see the new things that I might miss. I’ll let you know if the opinion of travelling with an 11 year old changes as we get farther into this trip.
– Time away from “work” is freeing. I’m not sure how to better say it. The fact that I’m on a sabbatical is great – but the fact that it allows me to think about camp and connect different dots and work with how to improve things is something that I would not get the chance to do if I was going into the office each day. It makes me think about things like a day a month spend away from work – but thinking about change and how to better serve the people and groups that we do. Not just a day for me – I’m thinking of it for our full time staff – how it would free them to have new ideas and bring those ideas to work and create a better place.
– New experiences are hard to share. It would be impossible to share all of the things we see and do. Matthew and I are trying with our Spreaker Podcasts – but I miss not being able to share with Jen and Kayla – the thoughts and ideas but also the look in the eyes as we see things that we have never seen – and may not see again…
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These are just some random thoughts. I got my phone hooked up with a new sim card so I am sitting outside at the Caravan Park in Dubbo typing on the laptop…
Good night all.