Jeopardy, Limbo, or... The Universe has our back

Daph and Ern’s travel plans are in jeopardy.

Daph has a contract to start in Western Australia next month. Current border controls will let Daph through as an “essential service,” but not Ern. This could mean getting stopped at the border, with Ern being quarantined at Eucla and only Daph being allowed to continue on. Problem is, Ern is Daph’s chauffeur. Daph is all for adventure, but continuing her journey through the Nullarbor Plain on foot is not her idea of fun.

We are hoping they will let Ern through on compassionate grounds and allow him to quarantine on arrival at our final destination. Rules are changing daily. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Daph and Ern will continue to play it by ear until the last minute. Daph loves spontaneity. Ern... not so much.

Yin and Yang.

***

Sorry that Daph and Ern have been off the radar for the past few weeks. As you will all be aware, there’s pretty much naught to report and not much adventuring to be done in lockdown. The most adventurous thing has been Ern’s hair growth.

Daph’s contract at Whyalla Hospital came to an end on Friday. It was a sad day. The staff here have been wonderful. Daph has felt so welcome. And despite the inability to socialise due to isolation rules, Daph feels like they were lifelong friends in the making. There were sarcastic comments about Daph being a traitor and leaving, and the frequent joke about not being allowed to leave due to border restrictions:

“You’ll just have to stay here. What a shame!”

How close to the truth they were...

Daph and Ern are currently in limbo. The plan was to set off on Easter Monday on our way to the next contract at Esperance. We were super organised. Our border crossing paperwork was filled out and ready, and the next two weeks’ worth of meals were all cooked and frozen, so we didn’t have to risk mixing with fellow humans along the way. But the Western Australian government moved the goalposts on Friday, requiring us to apply for pre-approval to cross the border through the WA Police Department.

Our application was submitted on Friday, and we are still waiting to hear if we can continue or not. We spent the Easter weekend brainstorming the possible plans and outcomes, only to realise that you cannot plan anything in these crazy times. So, the result of our brainstorming was to end up more discombobulated by the whole situation.

We could either:

1. Set off regardless, in the hope that we get approved, but with the risk of being turned away when we get to the border.

2. Stay put in Whyalla and await the result of our application, which could take days and leave us with less time to cross the Nullarbor if we get approved, or “homeless” without a job if we get denied.

3. Throw the towel in, and travel home (which poses more problems) with a possible three further border crossings to navigate on our way home. Too-hard basket.

We decided to go with the second option. The guys at Whyalla have been fabulous! They are allowing us to stay in the hospital house for the time being whilst awaiting our approval. And Daph suspects she could pick up the odd shift at the hospital should we need it. We are just going to sit tight for the moment, hoping that the application results will come through before the end of the week. And then, if denied, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

It’s been hard to stay aligned throughout this time. Daph sometimes feels like she just wants to go home. But then she realises that going home will just be the “same shit, different place”. At the end of the day, these are first-world problems. At this moment, right now, we have everything we need, and everything is all right. We have food, a roof over our heads, each other, our friends, and family (albeit via FaceTime) ... and toilet roll! We are still the lucky ones.

***

We got the “yay” to cross the WA border, on the grounds of Daph being an “essential service” and Ern being an “essential support driver.” We will receive our quarantine instructions on arrival. Stay tuned.

And so, we start the long journey across the Nullarbor Plain to Esperance, Western Australia, where Daph starts work in a week. The Kombi is packed to the rafters. The fridge is loaded with pre-cooked frozen meals. The petrol stops are meticulously planned, but we have jerry cans just in case. We have an emergency SIM card for mobile coverage black spots. And we have water. Daph is sure we have thought of everything. Ern will still worry the whole way.

It’s a funny feeling when you leave somewhere after setting up “home” for two months. Not so much sad, but an uncomfortable feeling. It felt a bit odd shutting the door on our hospital house for the last time. Maybe it’s fear of the unknown. Daph wonders how many people out there are stuck in a rut, just going through the motions, and missing out on life, due to fear of the unknown. Sometimes it’s just easier to stay in the familiar to avoid the uncomfortable. No matter how mundane and unfulfilling the familiar is. But when you take that step and put your trust in The Universe, the fear becomes joy.

Who knows what the next adventure will be? That’s the best part. It’s nothing to be afraid of. Because The Universe has our back.