I am writing from a cottage called Captain’s Retreat along the Mornington Peninsula.
It was a last-minute decision to book Airbnb. I have needed a break from life routines and responsibilities for weeks, if not months. So after the local government lifted the 25 km travel ban last weekend, there was no reason not to make a little country-side weekend getaway.
We reached the cottage way past our check-in time and entirely buzzed from the ten glasses of wine tasting and two generous servings of Pinot Gris from a hidden gem on the Peninsula called Kerri Greens.
An old man who lived in the front side cottage greeted us. He then instructed Fafa, who he called Frederico for some reason, to park our car in front of his boat.
Short pleasantries later, we were in.
The cottage was as described on Airbnb, complete with flower wallpapers, nautical-themed and a series of thriller novels by Clive Cussler neatly stacked on the bookshelves.
What was not advertised, and to my absolute delight, is the garden at the back. The huge shabby backyard supported an elevated patio, four seating areas, a hammock, a tended rose garden, and various trees, including a fully blooming orange tree.
The minute I stepped into the backyard, I could feel my weary soul starting to heal.
I spent some time in the hammock, swinging and reading the Belonging. Afterwards, I went in to make a cup of tea and then back outside to slow journal and soak up the evening sun accompanied by the resident cat.
This place, especially the garden — with its weathered-down furniture, two sheds displaying various types of equipment, spiderwebs and messy pots laying around, is not Instagram-able.
But sitting here for hours, watching the clouds passing by, hearing the birds chirping, I was reminded of what Sandra told me during my first-ever tarot reading. To:
“Find a pocket of nature and ground yourself there. As often as you can, darling.”
This was the advice she gave me in my first year of moving to Melbourne. Before then, I lived most of my life in Jakarta’s urban jungle.
Being in nature was not normal for me as hard-coded city folk. So, in the beginning, whenever I tried to connect with nature, I felt the need to “wrap things up” to get back to living my everyday life. That normal included Starbucks, high-rise buildings, paved balconies and malls. Even writing about it makes me cringe, but that was the truth.
It took me a few more tries – intentionally and unintentionally – to relearn to connect with nature.
Its nurturing and healing power slowly seeped into me when I stood at the Byron Bay beach, sunbathing on the Sunshine Coast, and walked alongside Fort Kochi, India.
Maybe relearning is wrong; perhaps it’s more about reminding myself what my soul already knew.
Ever since I have been inviting more nature-related energy into my life. From keeping fresh flowers in the apartment to collecting crystals to tending to my house plants. From growing my herbs to drinking herbal tea daily.
Ever since, life has been getting better.
I will write more about the place and our time here soon. But, for now, I will plant my feet on the grass bed and let Mother Earth recharge me.
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