The In-between time

It’s a weird in-between time in the world right now. Feels like we’re all stuck in some way, waiting and wishing for life to go back to normal.

Like a lot of people, I lost my job a few weeks ago due to COVID-19. All sports events were cancelled, which includes polo games. Since most of my job was getting horses ready for games, I was let go. My bosses very kindly let me stay in my accomodation for a bit after I was out of work, to get myself sorted. About a week ago I said goodbye to Scone and the horses and headed back to Sydney.

Goodbye, ponies…. I miss you already:

I’ve been staying with my cousin Richard in the city again. Though I can’t do any of the typical touristy activities around the city, I’ve been making the most of my time here. I’ve tried to make a semi-schedule for myself to make my days seem a little normal. About every other morning I join Richard and his dog, Copper, on their morning walk. We’ve visited quite a few of the city’s parks, and I’ve enjoyed learning about the different trees and birds around the city.

Early morning walk in Sydney Park. Richard and Copper are normally up for the sunrise…. which is a little earlier than I’m used to, but something I’ve learned to love:

Walks with Richard and Copper in Sydney’s Centennial Park:

Copper (a very large dog, with a sweet personality):

Walking around the streets of Sydney. The city has rules that construction sites have to cover up with artwork. This covering is a beautiful depiction of some of Australia’s native birdlife…. I’m a big fan:

I’ve also been doing a fair bit of writing lately. My goal is to do one productive thing a day (write one article, edit one batch of photos, etc.), but if I don’t get that accomplished, it’s okay. It’s a stressful time in the world and it’s good to take it easy on ourselves. Plus, here’s the good news: we’ve all got nothing but time right now. It’s okay to relax, to try and enjoy the good moments, and not to worry about how much we’re getting done. 

Last weekend I did away with productivity entirely, and Richard, Copper, and I went on a gorgeous drive along the coastline of a nearby national park (practicing social distancing all the while).

Some of the views from our drive:

Enjoying the sunshine through the trees:

If you look along the edge of the nearby hills in this photo, you can see a bridge, built over the water. The highway used to be built along the side of the cliffs, but was losing ground due to erosion. As a solution, they built this section of highway over the ocean, supported by beams on the rocks far below. A very cool feat of engineering:

It was a nice weekend diversion. Maybe we can’t go far right now, but there can still be lots to enjoy nearby.

Stay safe, friends!