Different! Is exactly what we are looking for.

Each day I am more amused by the response from others as I share my exciting news of the Great Escape.

Yes it will be different, that's the point! doing something different for me stirs feelings of excitement in anticipation of the unknown, that inexplicable feeling of not knowing what lies ahead, the rush I get when exploring a new city, wandering freely to see what unfolds, waiting to see what's around the next corner, it is after all in my opinion the only way to really see & experience something new.  Maybe I am just overly curious, not satisfied by that which is presented in glossy brochures, frequently discovering it's when you scratch off the gloss real treasure is revealed. 

 There have of course been times when my natural curiosity has been frowned upon, an instance which quickly springs to mind was one which I later learnt had the potential to go pear shaped quickly. The night I wandered the poorly lit narrow lane ways of Amsterdam's red light district meandering into the early hours of morning caught up in the theatre of sex being sold in a way I had never witnessed before, my fascination rendering me oblivious to any danger which may be lurking in the dark shadows, some would say I was lucky that night, I on the other hand like to think it was exactly as I expected, I didn't anticipate danger or trouble therefore none came my way. Instead I shall forever contain the memory of my night of voyeurism in the back alleys of Amsterdam, the full blown one, not the watered down version served up to tourist who dare not wander into unguided territory.

It is with this same optimism I look forward to exploring the possibility of making Vanuatu my part time home. We could of course do the "normal" thing & head up to Queensland's magnificent Sunshine Coast, creating our own little slice of paradise closer to the home we have always known, which in truth is what we have been thinking about doing for a long time, but always holding back, never quite willing to make the commitment, now I know why.  Other than a more picturesque location, I am sure we would just end up replicating our current city life. Where's the adventure in that?

Choosing Vanuatu means experiencing different cultures, the most dominate being those of the native Ni-Vanuatu & French. The Ni-Vanuatu live a peaceful life, seeking only what they need, valuing family & community above all else, their simplicity, in addition to the strong French influence bringing with it all those things many of us have grown to love courtesy of the great nation...Champagne, Wine, Cheese & Pastry are a few which immediately spring to mind. Living in Vanuatu means, not only will we experience different cultures we will also have the opportunity to learn two new languages, the native Bislama & French,to be used in our daily life, a chance which is not going to come our way on the Sunshine Coast unless I sign up with an international language school.

Other than buying a stand-up paddle-board, mountain bike & kayak I have no great plans or thoughts about how our Island life will will pan out, that is after-all a big part of the adventure! I look forward to allowing life to unfold , I know my natural curiosity is going to lead me around many new corners where more of life's treasures will be revealed.

Stage one of the planning process is underway with a seek & find mission booked for early December.  Meetings are scheduled with those "The Great Practical One" tells me are an important part of this process...Lawyer/Accountant/Real & Estate Agents...boring!! I on other hand thought it just as important to book us into a little somewhere on the beach, so I could check out the SUP & Kayaking conditions, I have also managed to locate just the guy to introduce me to the mountain bike tracks, all going well, I hope to hammer down on a regular basis.  

Eratap Beach Resort - Vanuatu

It's still early days with so much more to evolve as part of the process of making Vanuatu a large part of our life, each day I learn a little more and know there is so much more to come, fingers crossed Vanuatu will prove to be that little slice of paradise we are looking for, something new & different.