I finally complete my first 2-week work bender up north, contracted for, you guessed it… A mining company. It was, uh good?

I write this from a hotel lobby I am no longer staying at because they’re all booked up. Items of accomplishment:

• Texting people I ignored for two weeks back.
• Washing my field clothes.
• Starting and quitting a gym workout because of an Endo flare up ( does that count as its own item? )

• Doing one half ass workout while on a video call for work
• Drinking two free hot chocolates
• Discovering a new grocery store with 10/10 pre-made food options. I will be returning for dinner, again.
• Meeting another American

Honorable mentions are talking to my parents a bunch and going on a spa trip sponsored by my roommate, I am one lucky lady on these fronts.

The Kimberleys are beautiful, they are a very magical and murderous land. Unforgivable, that’s too cliche ~ but the rocks and plants and bush cattle will kill you with no remorse. I learned a lot. Someone cooking for you is AMAZING, never take for granted a free cafeteria. I really only need a bed, desk and functional bathroom when working 12 hour days. 14 hour days are too much after the 5th or 6th. My brain is still recovering, I scrolled for a good 2 hours today and it’s still not quite right.

I fell in love, fell in loathing and settled on respect for one person and neutral indifference for another. My coworker ( neither aforementioned people ) I like, but they are lazy. The strangers I met I also liked, and were not lazy, and taught me things about the land.

White spiders good, black spiders bad, trees can kill you and trees can nurture you. The waters are crystal clear and only the salty crocs will give you problems. Most significant things taught, self confidence in my off road driving AND American country music has some very long reaches.

Heat will cook you, the sun will bake you and the dirt has stained me through the skin.

I’m at a hotel avoiding the grey water that has pushed its way into my bathroom since my fly out day. Marooned in a rotation of one workout outfit and my field uniforms I’m beginning to loiter between accomodations. I’ve become so accustomed to this one that I’m thinking about getting reservations for Friday just for funzies. My apartment being a distant memory, what’s one more $200 day to the ol credit card bill? ( I kid )

Grey isn’t exactly the correct color for the materials that have produced themselves from the depth of my rented drains. However, these waters are deemed so pungent that they have hired trauma cleaners to do the job, a two days job, where my things will be thrown out for contamination purposes.

Rah rah my time abroad.

Bright side, work hasn’t asked or questioned where I have been, I have no children to shuffle and I’m day dreaming of pub food, I think I’ll acquire some once I work my shift again.