Funny how I can feel loneliest when surrounded by people.

I was lucky to receive a free ticket to the indigenous cultural festival, Nayri Niara. I’d been looking forward to it and had cycled to the southern end of Bruny Island to camp there for a night. It was an amazing event, with dance groups, craft workshops, storytelling circles, seminars, and some live music acts later. But after attending some sessions I just felt this restless urge to escape the crowds. As I was sitting on the hillside with the event happening below, I felt like an outsider and I kept thinking: “I could be riding my bike right now, and journeying to beautiful quiet places.” So I left, and raced the length of Bruny Island to just make the last ferry at 7:15pm.

Maybe this all sounds weird, but I’m learning what makes me happy, and I like myself more for having followed my instincts. I think this is partly what my journey is about. Camping at Trial Bay that night, I sat at the end of a small jetty in the dark looking up at the stars, and felt good.