# 1 We Haven't Even Left Yet...
By Mum
14 May 2024
St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
All 5 of us are going on a 6 month trip around the world: Mum, Dad, A (13), L (11), B (9). 3 continents. 8 countries. People keep saying to me:
That sounds amazing! You must be so excited!
Well, I would be if I wasn’t worried about things like sourcing enough quick dry underwear to sustain for 5 people for at least a week. I expected family members to be appreciative, because they’ll be able to wear fresh undies every day of our big trip. It also makes a most excellent birthday gift. But alas, my friend who assisted in shopping kindly pointed out:
So, Dad’s getting non-biodegradable plastic underwear that will probably find its way washed up in the ocean, and strangling dolphins for his birthday?
Yes. 6 pairs.
Was it too much to expect a little gratitude?
Again, yes. Apparently they have 2 seams directly under the seat which are a pain in the …
It’s now less than 3 weeks to go. I really should be doing more panicking, and some packing, but we’re just too busy. Of course, we need to have my fourth daughter, and the girls’ little sister H come for a sleepover this weekend. We’ll miss seeing her for 6 months. She’s not coming with us because she’s going to be staying with the people she calls her parents. Pffff. Saturday night, everyone is tucked up in bed. Dad is in Sydney, and texts at 10:00pm:
hey there’s an aurora!
What kind of mother puts down the remote control and the bag of chips to wake all the children she just lovingly put to bed, and starts screeching military commands? This one.
Go to the toilet! Put a coat over your PJs! Shoes on! Get in the car!
The 4 girlies and I pile into the car, crank up Chill Pop Hits, cruise through St Kilda, which is absolutely pumping, and head to the beach to be greeted by this:
We haven’t even left yet but the adventures have already begun.
We watch in awe, and wonder. The world must really be magic.
We bliss out to Tay Tay’s new album on the way home, and repeat the tucking in process as the clock ticks towards midnight.
Every mother wants a sleep in on Mother’s Day. After a night time adventure chasing auroras, that’s exactly what I got. It was followed by French crepes, and more perfect gifts. I was on track to chillax but at 1:23pm Scout Leader F texts:
Would anyone be interested in sailing over to the penguins tonight?
Who wouldn’t want to see penguins, and a submarine, and a sunset, and the city lights from a sailboat on the bay?!
Why are we even leaving? This has to be the most romantic city in the world.
It turned out to be an epic 4.5 hour expedition due to the blustering winds that took us on a 5.3 nautical mile round trip to St Kilda at an average speed of 1.2 knots. We may not have been carried by the wind as much as we were by the paddling of oars, but we were sustained by hot chocolate with marshmallows, sea shanties, a Tay Tay / Disney singalong and the trilling of little penguins in love.
In all the years I’ve lived in Melbourne, I’ve never spent so much time checking out the night life in St Kilda. Highly recommend.