Over the past 71 days, I have travelled over 40,000 kilometers, I have been in and throughout 12 countries, learned another language and endured a 41 hour trip back home. And for all those days, I have been thinking about just what that feeling would be like the minute I touched down into Melbourne and saw my friends and family. I was not let down. I can't begin to write about everything I went through on my trip to Europe, but now that I'm back at home, I have so much appreciation of everything I did and spending an absolutely fantastic day under the sun with my friends was just the perfect way to welcome me back to this beautiful, astonishing country. I love Australia. I loved my trip to Europe. I love my life at the moment. I haven't really had time yet to sit back and think about what I have done in the last 3 months, but just seeing my friends and talking to them and knowing where I am now, I don't need to think back to my trip. That was an amazing part of my life, and now this too is going to be an amazing part of my life. And so, in my last post for good, I can do nothing but appreciate everything Europe gave me, everything France gave me, but moreso, I am now going to spend the most amazing time with my friends, my family and summer. I am finally back. I am home.
Thankyou,
Benjamin Malcolm Witkowski.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Part 16: Never Forget.
Over the past few days, I have said goodbye to Paris and been re-united with English-speaking civilization, which has included hours upon hours of fantastic, intellectual and extremely enjoyable conversation. Also, for one final treat that Europe has had to offer me over this amazing near two and a half months that I have spent here, it gave me a reason to be more proud of my country than I would have ever known had I not visited the places I have in the last few days. Over the schooling years I have learned an abundance of things about WW1 – ‘The Great War’, but I suppose as most things in life, you need to see it to believe it. Visiting the Western Front between 1914 and 1918 had an edge to it that you can never experience through a textbook. In this area, there were many of the most arduous and truly horrible battles and scenes that could ever be experienced not just in a war, but in anyone’s life. In the soil, the blood of millions shed over this beautiful land that is France, with over 1.3 million dying in the Western Front alone in WW1 – some of the words and statistics you might find when learning about this “great war”. But it’s the effect of visiting the area where it happened, seeing the monuments, reading the names of those who were never found, and trying to envisage what really happened here 95 years ago is what makes you learn the most about this tragedy. The British memorial that was put in place to commemorate the names of those people whose bodies were never found consists of 72,000 names. They are honourably noted on the monument for remembrance, but it’s when you take a step away and look at the view in front of you where you realise that is what 72,000 people looks like. It is there where the numbers and statistics make more of an image in your head. The day was glum, the fog was imposing and the breeze was freezing. There was an eerie silence, a real nothingness that existed. 72,000 people looked like nothing. It was a nothingness that made us think why there was this war. Why did these people die for nothing? The view of this nothingness gave me an image of war that I have never had before. On the one hand, you have this sense of disbelief that so many people could kill and be killed for what most of the time were kilometers and sometimes even meters of land, but on the other hand, there is an overwhelming appreciation of the courage, loyalty, honour, and bravery that these men died with. These men were too good to die like that.
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| WW1 Battlefields. As read on the New Zealand War Monument - "The Uttermost Ends Of The Earth." |
In the afternoon we visited the Australian monument which just meant so much more. This, again, had the same appreciation of the bravery of war and the same view of the rolling hills were blood was spilled and lives were lost, now occupied by bland, lifeless farming land in the midst of an overwhelmingly brutal cold and fog. Here, we had a minute silence to honour and remember those Australians who fought for our fathers and our freedom. And in this minute, on the 26th January, I realised that if I was going to be anywhere else than Australia for Australia Day; it would be here. The people who have collected memories of war, the people here who are forever grateful for Australia and the people who share their homes, their memories and their lives with us from the goodness of their heart in honour of their passion for Australia was the perfect way for Europe, and especially France, to say goodbye. From their love of Australia, I too appreciated my love for France and will always remember the memories this astonishing country gave to me. For that, I will be forever grateful. As my final 12 hours in this beautiful country on this astonishing continent begin to wind down, I prepare to sit back, relax, and think over everything that made this one of the best journeys I have ever been on, and with one final blog to be done after this, I will have spent the first hours with my friends under the Melbourne sun in the beginning of another new amazing adventure. For now though, the thoughts and the signs scattered around these areas that read “N’oublions jamais l’Australie”, “Never Forget Australia”, I think back to this amazing time I have had, and will “Never Forget France”.
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| Australian WW1 Memorial - Le Hamel, France. |
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| Australia And France - Brothers In Arms. |
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Part 15: Thank You Paris.
As the days narrow their way down to zero, my time in Paris has come to an end, not before it threw everything it had to offer at me. Over the past 7 weeks on my exchange, I've done it all. I've seen it all. There is a reason why so many people come to Paris and leave it saying it is the best city in the world, and from what I have been through in the last 7 weeks, I can only agree with their contentions. From the first day I arrived here in the driving snow, I knew I was going to be in for something special, and now that it's over, I guess I should explain why it was that special, which is actually quite a hard thing to do.
The best things in Paris come under the category of 'unexpected'. Everyone knows about the Eiffel Tower, The Arc De Triomphe, The Louvre - the list of global attractions goes on and on. These are some of the marvels of the world, but maybe you'd think that the fact that they are so well-known would ruin how special they are? If you thought that, you would be wrong. There is a sense around Paris, a certain atmosphere in the air that just has that wow factor about it. I went to the Eiffel Tower countless times and stared at it for countless hours, because there is this 'something else' when you are actually there in the flesh seeing this beacon of France watching over the world's greatest city. And that really is unexpected. I thought that flocks of drop-dead-retarded tourists with their happy snaps with peace symbols frolicking around the main attractions would ruin my experiences with them, but unexpectedly, they didn't at all.
Even something like walking down any road has its own individual beauty to it, and just the amount of things that are going on at any time of the day is unexpected.
This weekend was truly spectacular and it was one where the amazingness of the people shone through the grim, cloudy and cold skyline. It was a weekend where the people I've been with for the last 7 weeks made me feel like I belonged in Paris, and I can't thank them enough. For anyone who hasn't been to Paris reading this; the stereotype that Parisians are arrogant and rude should be completely abolished; they are in fact more than content to put up with someone who can't string sentences together (at the start of the trip anyway) and show everyone what it's like to live in this beautiful city. I probably should've written that bit in French. I'm sure they can manage.
As for now, I leave in high spirits, knowing that my 71 day Europe adventure is all but at an end, not for 3 days in the north of France and a 40 hour trip back home. The feeling is a bit weird. With these adventures of a lifetime, the memories and looking back on everything is great, but you'd rather actually be in them because that's when you have the most fun. So here I am after weeks of complaining about how difficult it is away to be from home, now saying that I'm upset that this adventure is coming to an end. The beauty of the situation though is that, starting January 30, I have an even better adventure starting. An adventure in the year that can be considered as one of the hardest yet one of the best of our lives, an adventure with my friends, the sun, a year where we finish school and pursue everything we want in our lives. This will be an adventure where the pressure of school will try to bring us down, and where we will not let that get in our way and have an amazing time the whole year. So perhaps it is justified that I spend 3 days in a small and unknown french town, just to divide these two amazing adventures that I have done and am about to do.
My favorite photos of Paris:
The best things in Paris come under the category of 'unexpected'. Everyone knows about the Eiffel Tower, The Arc De Triomphe, The Louvre - the list of global attractions goes on and on. These are some of the marvels of the world, but maybe you'd think that the fact that they are so well-known would ruin how special they are? If you thought that, you would be wrong. There is a sense around Paris, a certain atmosphere in the air that just has that wow factor about it. I went to the Eiffel Tower countless times and stared at it for countless hours, because there is this 'something else' when you are actually there in the flesh seeing this beacon of France watching over the world's greatest city. And that really is unexpected. I thought that flocks of drop-dead-retarded tourists with their happy snaps with peace symbols frolicking around the main attractions would ruin my experiences with them, but unexpectedly, they didn't at all.
Even something like walking down any road has its own individual beauty to it, and just the amount of things that are going on at any time of the day is unexpected.
This weekend was truly spectacular and it was one where the amazingness of the people shone through the grim, cloudy and cold skyline. It was a weekend where the people I've been with for the last 7 weeks made me feel like I belonged in Paris, and I can't thank them enough. For anyone who hasn't been to Paris reading this; the stereotype that Parisians are arrogant and rude should be completely abolished; they are in fact more than content to put up with someone who can't string sentences together (at the start of the trip anyway) and show everyone what it's like to live in this beautiful city. I probably should've written that bit in French. I'm sure they can manage.
As for now, I leave in high spirits, knowing that my 71 day Europe adventure is all but at an end, not for 3 days in the north of France and a 40 hour trip back home. The feeling is a bit weird. With these adventures of a lifetime, the memories and looking back on everything is great, but you'd rather actually be in them because that's when you have the most fun. So here I am after weeks of complaining about how difficult it is away to be from home, now saying that I'm upset that this adventure is coming to an end. The beauty of the situation though is that, starting January 30, I have an even better adventure starting. An adventure in the year that can be considered as one of the hardest yet one of the best of our lives, an adventure with my friends, the sun, a year where we finish school and pursue everything we want in our lives. This will be an adventure where the pressure of school will try to bring us down, and where we will not let that get in our way and have an amazing time the whole year. So perhaps it is justified that I spend 3 days in a small and unknown french town, just to divide these two amazing adventures that I have done and am about to do.
My favorite photos of Paris:
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| The welcoming snow in Paris. |
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| One of my favorite photos of the whole trip. |
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| Jules' tree. |
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| A bit of Aussie pride. |
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| And its beauty that just doesn't let up. |
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| There's even some tranquility amongst the 8 million people. |
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| History, Tradition, And Pride. |
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| And just some of the people who made it worthwhile. |
Monday, January 17, 2011
Part 14: Putting Together The Pieces Of Paris.
In the final hours of week 8 bearing down upon me, I reflect back on another week in Paris that included happiness, exploration, partial boredom, and yet another unique aspect to it; this week was heavily evolved around the number 14.
My life-long problem was in full swing this week as never getting a proper night's sleep returned, and with the factors of the drop-dead boring Philosophy and Literature prevalent throughout the week, I ended up sleeping more at school than in my bed. Which, oddly, had it's doona disappear and replaced with a sleeping bag. Coincidentally, the hobo that I walk past every day has a blanket and a sleeping bag. At around the same time my doona was replaced with a sleeping bag, the hobo only had his blanket, no sleeping bag. It was just one of the pressing issues that was conjured up this week. Issues, such as the floods heading to Victoria, and devastation and despair in Tunisia.
The latter was fully present in Paris and I happened to join the protest that took place on the Saturday. 8,000 Franco-Tunisians and the general public joined hands to display their grief in the current situation in Tunisia. For me, this included climbing statues rock-climbing style and saying that you're the BBC to get the best photos possible. It also included information that (I already knew this but yeah) protests and demonstrations are and always have been a way of life for Parisians. I'm not sure if they ever achieve anything, but it does create a great spectacle to see 'people power' take over the streets and sing together as one; just part of the way of life for people here. And it's that way of life in Paris that I think I'm finally becoming able to describe and understand.
With a cure-the-boredom and a non-thought through plan, I travelled today to the Chateau De Vincennes and had a look around at this stunning feat of architecture before heading out a little door and discovered that there was some sort of festival happening on the streets. This festival was on historical cars of Paris and France; some beautiful vintage cars and an array of public interest. And this is what I'm getting at - The way of life in Paris. I had absolutely no intention of stumbling across perhaps the most beautiful cars I have ever seen, in an open space next to the road, next to an astonishingly majestic and historical castle. I had no intention of marching through the streets of Paris with 8,000 people chanting slogans that meant nothing to me, but that's what it's all about over here. You never waste a second of your time in Paris, and in this week, I was finally able to put my finger down on why. You go through the days of school intertwining lessons with cafes, sport and great food. And as soon as that window of opportunity arrives after your last class on Friday, you take it in open arms and go visit the absurd abundance of sights in Paris that millions and millions of people plan their whole life to snatch a glimpse of. I can finally understand why the Eiffel Tower is so symbolic, why the Champs Elysees and The Arc De Triomphe are so well-known; because for some reason, anyone who visits here can just look at them, and just by looking, it always make you smile and be taken aback. I can finally understand why protests and demonstrations are considered more of a 'past time' than a political assertion of strength; I mean, who wouldn't want to take over the streets of Paris with 8,000 people and spend your afternoon causing hell for motorists trying to get around you? But overall, the thing I can finally understand is why everyone says Paris is the most amazing city in the world - and it is simply because of the unexpected. Around every corner, behind every building, it is so easy to stumble on something beautiful. Staring at the main attractions also has it's own unexpected sense of gratitude which is un-canny to anywhere else in the world. Even when you plan to visit something, and it's beauty is overshadowed by another event that you had no idea existed. The unexpected beauty of Paris is almost a physical thing; it's like a feeling in the air that you try to grasp when you come in the face of the beauty around you. That's what makes Paris so special.
Oh, and as for the '14' thing, it is partially because the temperature did reach 14 degrees this week; the hottest I have been outside since November 20. The 14th January was this week and it was when I realised how much I really do love this city, and it was today that I realised I haven't sat on a couch since I've been in Europe, as there are no couches in Jules' pad. The couch situation got me to thinking of the fact that yes, I do have a couch at home. I sleep on a fold-out couch, which is my bed, which is my home. So my other realisation of this week was that I can feel my home calling, and I can sense the readiness and the happiness that awaits me in yep, you guessed it, 14 days.
And I can't wait.
My life-long problem was in full swing this week as never getting a proper night's sleep returned, and with the factors of the drop-dead boring Philosophy and Literature prevalent throughout the week, I ended up sleeping more at school than in my bed. Which, oddly, had it's doona disappear and replaced with a sleeping bag. Coincidentally, the hobo that I walk past every day has a blanket and a sleeping bag. At around the same time my doona was replaced with a sleeping bag, the hobo only had his blanket, no sleeping bag. It was just one of the pressing issues that was conjured up this week. Issues, such as the floods heading to Victoria, and devastation and despair in Tunisia.
The latter was fully present in Paris and I happened to join the protest that took place on the Saturday. 8,000 Franco-Tunisians and the general public joined hands to display their grief in the current situation in Tunisia. For me, this included climbing statues rock-climbing style and saying that you're the BBC to get the best photos possible. It also included information that (I already knew this but yeah) protests and demonstrations are and always have been a way of life for Parisians. I'm not sure if they ever achieve anything, but it does create a great spectacle to see 'people power' take over the streets and sing together as one; just part of the way of life for people here. And it's that way of life in Paris that I think I'm finally becoming able to describe and understand.
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| Tunisian protests rolling through the streets of Paris. |
With a cure-the-boredom and a non-thought through plan, I travelled today to the Chateau De Vincennes and had a look around at this stunning feat of architecture before heading out a little door and discovered that there was some sort of festival happening on the streets. This festival was on historical cars of Paris and France; some beautiful vintage cars and an array of public interest. And this is what I'm getting at - The way of life in Paris. I had absolutely no intention of stumbling across perhaps the most beautiful cars I have ever seen, in an open space next to the road, next to an astonishingly majestic and historical castle. I had no intention of marching through the streets of Paris with 8,000 people chanting slogans that meant nothing to me, but that's what it's all about over here. You never waste a second of your time in Paris, and in this week, I was finally able to put my finger down on why. You go through the days of school intertwining lessons with cafes, sport and great food. And as soon as that window of opportunity arrives after your last class on Friday, you take it in open arms and go visit the absurd abundance of sights in Paris that millions and millions of people plan their whole life to snatch a glimpse of. I can finally understand why the Eiffel Tower is so symbolic, why the Champs Elysees and The Arc De Triomphe are so well-known; because for some reason, anyone who visits here can just look at them, and just by looking, it always make you smile and be taken aback. I can finally understand why protests and demonstrations are considered more of a 'past time' than a political assertion of strength; I mean, who wouldn't want to take over the streets of Paris with 8,000 people and spend your afternoon causing hell for motorists trying to get around you? But overall, the thing I can finally understand is why everyone says Paris is the most amazing city in the world - and it is simply because of the unexpected. Around every corner, behind every building, it is so easy to stumble on something beautiful. Staring at the main attractions also has it's own unexpected sense of gratitude which is un-canny to anywhere else in the world. Even when you plan to visit something, and it's beauty is overshadowed by another event that you had no idea existed. The unexpected beauty of Paris is almost a physical thing; it's like a feeling in the air that you try to grasp when you come in the face of the beauty around you. That's what makes Paris so special.
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| Old cars of France in the foreground of part of the Chateau De Vincennes. |
Oh, and as for the '14' thing, it is partially because the temperature did reach 14 degrees this week; the hottest I have been outside since November 20. The 14th January was this week and it was when I realised how much I really do love this city, and it was today that I realised I haven't sat on a couch since I've been in Europe, as there are no couches in Jules' pad. The couch situation got me to thinking of the fact that yes, I do have a couch at home. I sleep on a fold-out couch, which is my bed, which is my home. So my other realisation of this week was that I can feel my home calling, and I can sense the readiness and the happiness that awaits me in yep, you guessed it, 14 days.
And I can't wait.
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| Champs-Elysees - Paris, France |
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| There are also countless amounts of parks just like this scattered throughout Paris. |
Monday, January 10, 2011
Part 13: Some Of The Perks
With just under 3 weeks until I am back at home, I think I should actually try and fill you in on what is good and enjoyable over here, because the most of these blogs have been upsetting home-sick un-ben-like things to say. And I guess it's time to revert back to those sarcastically try-hard funny comments that I attempt to make and intern, make these blogs enjoyable to read. And of course, I need to add in some photos. So here we go.
Firstly, I really quite enjoy school. For a kind of awkward reason I have started doing school work, because the driving boredom of sitting there and playing Doodle Jump can prove to be, boring. Quite boring. So yes I have learned many things in Philosophy, Geography, even Latin. Geography is more like a general knowledge class; the other day we learned that Russia was the biggest country in the world. Oh?
Though I guess the French do like to make sure that everyone has their general knowledge up to scratch. For example, a couple of weeks ago I was in the car with Jules' dad and he stopped the car and pointed and said "Look, a Tree!!"
To my amazement he was right, it was a tree! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me though and missed out on that once in a lifetime event.
So anyway, basically what happens in a class here is that the teacher will talk for the whole lesson, and all the students have to dictate the abundance of general knowledge being flown in their direction. It has it's ups and downs, and for me, there is one exception to this system, which comes from English class. The teacher loves to make the students write down sentences and phrases in English, most of the time confirming it with me. "Well actually, I wouldn't actually say that's correct Engl -" "Yes but I think it's difficult for you Ben to think about how to properly say things in your own language."
Oh? Difficult for me to think in English? Ok, you must be right, carry on. What's the sentence we need to write again? Ah, 'they may blame themselves for they what have done'
..yeah good one
Then there's the whole diet and weight situation. As of now, I have supposedly lost 9kg and it's still going down. Duck liver? has become one of my favorite foods. Although search what happens when you have too much fibre (bread) in your diet. Not very pretty.
There are some things/people here that drive me to such a state of annoyance that I can't even move because I am so shocked at the level of annoyance I have from that thing/person. For the sake of someone reading this and saying to me 'why did you write all that stuff about me, bitch', I will not go into specific details on 'who' but I can say a couple of things about 'what'.
For instance, the fact that the French like to cook their meat so it is cooked on the outside and raw on the inside. FFS, I just want to dig in to some bloody meat and not have blood pouring out of it.
Another thing, people who believe they can talk English who talk English to me - shut up. You are wrong. Don't think that just because I can't understand everything you say in French that you need to repeat it to me in English, incorrectly. But it does give me some internal fun as once they say it (incorrectly) in English I can be like ohh now I understand, or even compliment them on how they are very good in English.
Yeah that's right, I'm still an asshole, but only in doses these days.
And as for photos:
As I have conveniently labelled, above is the Notre Dame; a photo of which I took after school on a Wednesday night. After school, I have also visited such things as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the City Centre - very easy to get to from my house.
I am trying to inflict jealousy here. But yeah, it's summer in Australia so it goes both ways.
So yeah, I am quite enjoying my time here and am quite enjoying the fact I am within touching distance of returning home. I have nothing to complain about at the moment, looking forward to what I'm thinking of as the final phase of my trip; should be a good one.
Firstly, I really quite enjoy school. For a kind of awkward reason I have started doing school work, because the driving boredom of sitting there and playing Doodle Jump can prove to be, boring. Quite boring. So yes I have learned many things in Philosophy, Geography, even Latin. Geography is more like a general knowledge class; the other day we learned that Russia was the biggest country in the world. Oh?
Though I guess the French do like to make sure that everyone has their general knowledge up to scratch. For example, a couple of weeks ago I was in the car with Jules' dad and he stopped the car and pointed and said "Look, a Tree!!"
To my amazement he was right, it was a tree! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me though and missed out on that once in a lifetime event.
So anyway, basically what happens in a class here is that the teacher will talk for the whole lesson, and all the students have to dictate the abundance of general knowledge being flown in their direction. It has it's ups and downs, and for me, there is one exception to this system, which comes from English class. The teacher loves to make the students write down sentences and phrases in English, most of the time confirming it with me. "Well actually, I wouldn't actually say that's correct Engl -" "Yes but I think it's difficult for you Ben to think about how to properly say things in your own language."
Oh? Difficult for me to think in English? Ok, you must be right, carry on. What's the sentence we need to write again? Ah, 'they may blame themselves for they what have done'
..yeah good one
Then there's the whole diet and weight situation. As of now, I have supposedly lost 9kg and it's still going down. Duck liver? has become one of my favorite foods. Although search what happens when you have too much fibre (bread) in your diet. Not very pretty.
There are some things/people here that drive me to such a state of annoyance that I can't even move because I am so shocked at the level of annoyance I have from that thing/person. For the sake of someone reading this and saying to me 'why did you write all that stuff about me, bitch', I will not go into specific details on 'who' but I can say a couple of things about 'what'.
For instance, the fact that the French like to cook their meat so it is cooked on the outside and raw on the inside. FFS, I just want to dig in to some bloody meat and not have blood pouring out of it.
Another thing, people who believe they can talk English who talk English to me - shut up. You are wrong. Don't think that just because I can't understand everything you say in French that you need to repeat it to me in English, incorrectly. But it does give me some internal fun as once they say it (incorrectly) in English I can be like ohh now I understand, or even compliment them on how they are very good in English.
Yeah that's right, I'm still an asshole, but only in doses these days.
And as for photos:
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| Notre Dame |
I am trying to inflict jealousy here. But yeah, it's summer in Australia so it goes both ways.
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| 80,000 people supporting a rugby team that wears pink jerseys - intimidating... |
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| Paris by night |
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Part 12: Had Enough Yet?
For well over a month I have been going on about life here; how it's great if you've got something to do, though when you don't, you think of home straight away and you get sick and a million thoughts run to your head about anything and everything and it, at times, can be horrible. So, to counteract that, I have been pre-occupying myself with many things. I surely must be a world champion at all the windows games - Hearts, Solitaire, Pinball, and Freecell. As well as Nano Rally and Doodle Jump on my Ipod. I've even been playing the playstation which is weird for me. I've come up with a song on guitar, I've designed a house, I've collected things, I've watched movies, TV, music videos, I've even grown a beard - there's not much else I can do. And so far, I've been doing alright. Sure there are moments where the only place you want to be is home, but most of the time, it's enjoyable and I love every single thing I'm doing.
Though there is a point in time in everyone's life where your thoughts start to take over you and control your feelings and the way you are, and it's here where champions are made. Those people who want to be professional in Sport need to go through painstaking hours upon days upon weeks upon months upon years to reach the top - and there is no doubt a time when their mentality hits rock bottom and everything around them says 'give up'.
I'm not trying to be any sport star over here, but I am fighting a battle. I am going through a test harder than anything I will ever get at school, and I am having to work harder than I have ever worked for. The test to ensure that my thoughts do not take over my brain and leave me in a slump of frowns and withdrawal.
The northeast of Australia is facing it's darkest hour - an hour which will last for weeks. The floods that have inundated 22 cities and towns forcing over 200,000 people to evacuate - 3 so far who were not so lucky. Floods that are the size of France and Germany combined, and beyond. Having scaled all of Germany and France in the last month and a bit, I can only imagine the devastation and the nightmare that the people in an area that size would be realising.
And for those people, it is the same test. Immediately, they need to ensure that their lives are safe and that their loved ones are protected. In the long term, they face the battle of returning to their damaged homes and communities, and go through the struggle of repairing. For now though, in the back of their heads will be the countdown of time before the floods clear and they can go back to their homes.
To wait for this period they need to go through one of the most difficult tests of mentality and need to get by day after day to keep their spirits high.
Obviously the people of the Northeast of Australia are in a much more horrible situation, but both situations require the same intrinsic values - be strong mentally before anything else, don't let the negativity of the situation overhaul you. Think of the people who will help you get through it - know that you will never want to lose them after it is over. And Finally, Wait - have the strength and patience to wait through any way that you can summon.
Life can put you in many situations over time, one of which is putting you under the test just to see how much you can handle away from the things you need the most, in all many different ways - floods, earthquakes, depression. Clearly my situation is in no way nearly as bad as those above, but follows the same concept. And gripping the concept is hard. Overcoming it is the test. Never give up.
Though there is a point in time in everyone's life where your thoughts start to take over you and control your feelings and the way you are, and it's here where champions are made. Those people who want to be professional in Sport need to go through painstaking hours upon days upon weeks upon months upon years to reach the top - and there is no doubt a time when their mentality hits rock bottom and everything around them says 'give up'.
I'm not trying to be any sport star over here, but I am fighting a battle. I am going through a test harder than anything I will ever get at school, and I am having to work harder than I have ever worked for. The test to ensure that my thoughts do not take over my brain and leave me in a slump of frowns and withdrawal.
The northeast of Australia is facing it's darkest hour - an hour which will last for weeks. The floods that have inundated 22 cities and towns forcing over 200,000 people to evacuate - 3 so far who were not so lucky. Floods that are the size of France and Germany combined, and beyond. Having scaled all of Germany and France in the last month and a bit, I can only imagine the devastation and the nightmare that the people in an area that size would be realising.
And for those people, it is the same test. Immediately, they need to ensure that their lives are safe and that their loved ones are protected. In the long term, they face the battle of returning to their damaged homes and communities, and go through the struggle of repairing. For now though, in the back of their heads will be the countdown of time before the floods clear and they can go back to their homes.
To wait for this period they need to go through one of the most difficult tests of mentality and need to get by day after day to keep their spirits high.
Obviously the people of the Northeast of Australia are in a much more horrible situation, but both situations require the same intrinsic values - be strong mentally before anything else, don't let the negativity of the situation overhaul you. Think of the people who will help you get through it - know that you will never want to lose them after it is over. And Finally, Wait - have the strength and patience to wait through any way that you can summon.
Life can put you in many situations over time, one of which is putting you under the test just to see how much you can handle away from the things you need the most, in all many different ways - floods, earthquakes, depression. Clearly my situation is in no way nearly as bad as those above, but follows the same concept. And gripping the concept is hard. Overcoming it is the test. Never give up.
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