Hitting The Slump

I have now been in Australia for just over two months, and so far I have been pleasantly surprised by the absence of any homesickness, save for the odd day in the first couple of weeks which passed pretty quickly. Fast-forward to 65 days after arriving down under, and I think I’ve finally hit a slump. 

Today is Wednesday. I arrived back to Melbourne on Monday after a 12-day tour of Bali, and unfortunately the end of my trip was ruined by the dreaded ‘Bali Belly’. On Thursday of last week there were around 8 people out of 18 on the trip who suffered from the dreaded 24-hour vomiting, and I thought that I had been lucky to avoid it. Friday came, and three other girls and I decided to have a morning at a local spa due to heavy rain and the absence of anything else to do. I booked myself in for a very cheap package for a facial, massage, and manicure for the bargain price of around £8. All was going well until I sat down to have my manicure, and all of a sudden tried to explain to the beauty therapist that I needed to make a run for the toilet, but I wasn’t quick enough and promptly vomited all over the salon floor. To say I was mortified was an understatement. I then spent the whole of Friday in bed, throwing up constantly, unable to keep down any fluids. Sadly that meant I missed that evening’s farewell meal, along with a few others who also ended up struck by the bug. Later in the evening, when I felt like I could barely move a muscle for fear of being sick, there was also an earthquake which lead to the bed shaking and was not the most comforting of feelings. Even worse when you can hear people around the hotel shouting in panic and running around, and I’m questioning whether I even have the strength to pull myself out of bed!

I spent all of Saturday in bed hoping that I would feel fit enough to make my flight on Saturday evening; I did, but it was not a pleasant experience. I could not have been more pleased to get back to Melbourne and to my own bed! Sadly it is now Wednesday and I am STILL ill. I shouldn’t have been ill this long and it’s causing me all sorts of worry, and making me feel utterly miserable and alone. 

Bali was an absolutely amazing experience, and I got to enjoy lots of new things and meet some great people. I went for my first ever surfing lesson and loved it; I was very lucky to see countless dolphins on a sunrise boat tour (not even this picture does justice to how spectacular the views were with the dolphins leaping out of the water right beside us);  I went white water rafting which was absolutely hilarious; I enjoyed Indonesian cooking lessons and dancing, amongst many other things. I should have been on a high after all of this, but sadly the dreaded Bali Belly ruined the end of my holiday, and I think this episode has kick-started my current slump.

Feeling ill, I just want to be at home in my bed in England, around my home comforts and the undivided attention and company of my furry little house cats. I want to be able to pop into Tesco to buy the things I know I can eat and drink when I feel sick, that aren’t available in Australia. I want to be able to go to see a doctor without paying $60 for a consultation and $150 for a pathology test. I miss being around my familiar people and not having to be constantly trying hard to be sociable and make an effort to form new friendships; as much as I enjoy meeting new people, there is something to be said for the comfort and ease you enjoy at being around those that are close to you when you are drained of energy to do much other than to just ‘be’.

I am yet to start work and am missing the routine. I have just received my first month’s rota and I could not be more disappointed. Going from working 12-hour days with three or four shifts a week, with colleagues that I absolutely adore, to working in a new place with up to six 8-hour shifts per week, gives me plenty of worries about what kind of work-life balance I am now going to have to get used to. What I wouldn’t do to have my old shift pattern back, and to sit and natter with my old colleagues. 

Despite my current pessimistic state, I still feel very grateful to be here and know that this feeling will pass. I have some more trips planned, firstly flying up to the Gold Coast in a couple of days to do some surfing and general exploring in warmer weather. I’ve a few social events in the calendar to look forward to, and once I get back from the Gold Coast will promptly be joining a gym, as that is one of the major things I am missing right now and know that I need.

That all said, I must remember in times like this, that “This too shall pass”.