Today is Monday. The 10th of July 2017. I am officially unemployed for almost 3 years now and completely broke. Only 2 days ago, It was my birthday and I reached the age of 35. As well as my partner will, later this month. But we’re not that really in the mood for celebrating this year…
And since that day before yesterday I realize: time does go by indeed!
Brisbane
Therefore, I am starting a new concept here on Steemit: let’s wind the clocks back 10 years. Just because I remember. And just because we can.
On 10th July in the year of 2007, at this exact time, I am making myself ready to go to North Stradbroke-Island later this morning. It is Tuesday. As a backpacker I found myself a better hostel and a better room yesterday. Therefore, I moved from the suburban area off to somewhere in the heart of Brisbane. Just behind the Central Business District.
For some reason I can’t seem to remember anything about my 25th birthday. But I’ve never been kind of a ‘party animal’ in any alcoholic way, so I guess I was either too busy exploring the city, or ‘making new friends’ 2 days ago…
My room is quite large. When I got here, this dorm was entirely empty. Later, in the afternoon some other people came in as well. They will be staying in the same dorm with me and they are mainly coming from Scotland.
Nice guys. Although I am having a hard time understanding what they are saying. I speak English English quite well. But Scottish English is pronounced and spoken in a very quick way.
Jarno
Recently, I followed my travel mate Jarno Goedkoop all the way down, who has been around Brisbane for a few weeks now. We became very good friends since our time in Airlie Beach. And we both quitted our jobs there.
I did when I had a feeling it was the right time to move on. I’d saved up enough money to go all the way to New Zealand. I started travelling again along the east coast: from Town Of 1770 to Lady Musgrave Island. And from Rainbow Beach to Fraser Island.
Jarno did so because he found himself a better job. In hospitality. He has a background in the cure- and care-system in the Zutphen area. Back home in the Netherlands.
He isn’t staying at the hostel with the other backpackers. But his employer not only helped him out for a job, but also for a place to live. His employer runs some kind of Dutch village in the suburbans of Brisbane. I don’t remember where it is exactly. But it is close to either Wynnum Station, or Wynnum Central Station…
A few days ago, on the 4th of July, I payed him a visit at work.
The Dutch village appears to be a home for the elderly people. I took the train and I seem to remember I got off at the wrong station. After we still met at the other Wynnum station, we went to his working location.
He still had a shift in front of him, later today. So I couldn’t stay that long. But we drank some coffee and exchanged a few words about how we both were doing now.
Straddie
Recently, we agreed to travel to North Stradbroke-Island by boat. To locals, the island is also known as ‘Straddie’. The weather predictions were quite all right. Although it is a bit windy today.
We are going for a long stroll on the beach: ascending, descending, upstairs, downstairs…
The island is peaceful, quiet and serene. And as far as I can tell, sparsely populated.
At the end of this day, we want to take a quick bite. But since there were not many shops, stores in the area of the island we got dropped off, it isn’t that easy to find a place to have something to eat.
Back in 2017: I can’t be sure about any more specific details of this field trip 10 years ago.
So, for the time being these pictures must suffice.
