The Other Side of the World

a dispatch from Down Under, and a peek behind the "travel writing" curtain

Friends,

Here in the southern hemisphere, I got to pet a kangaroo. He was so soft, and he ate out of my hand, and then he gazed at me, chewing with his teeth showing, and I fell in love. Nearby, a female, maybe his wife, sat watching us on her hind legs, a tiny joey tucked into her pouch.

I can see why people move to Australia. Or at least, I’d like to move here and now call myself “people”. I love the wild beauty of the “Bush”. I love how often Australians say heaps. I love the Kangaroo Crossing signs that bear a kangaroo silhouette. It’s so easy to get around here because there’s no language barrier. There’s not even much anti-American sentiment, which can be a worse barrier. I am nevertheless self-conscious of my accent and notice that some folks look at me as though I’ve stepped out of their TV.