Comfort Zones

I thought that I had left the wet season behind in Darwin for a moment to have some summer sunshine in south east Queensland.  It hasn't rained all the time I have been here but.......


Weather aside, I have been taken on a quick road trip through this corner of Queensland.  The beautiful green wooded hilly countryside has astonished me.  I had not realised that I had SUCH strong pictures in my mind and preconceptions of what Queensland is like - the coastal belt, green and luscious extending up to the tropical north; the arid flat inland, the home of vast stations - these were the pictures that I associate with this area.


Travelling from the Fraser Coast to inland Dalby was eye opening.  I will admit to panic settling in when we reached the flatness of the Condamine Basin, a stark contrast to the areas around Kingaroy.  I have driven through the centre of Australia (which is not flat, there being hills, undulations, gullies) and enjoyed the 360 degree views that the vastness allows but this area left me nearly hyperventilating with its FLATNESS.  Wow!  


Queensland is taking me out of comfort zones that I did not even know that I had.  Yes, I was born in Tasmania, within the gentle undulating landscape of the north-west where I lived for the first 12 years of my life.  How does this still influence my idea of what the landscape I want to live in should look like? After living in the tropics for 16 years, I would not have thought that the look of Tasmania would still be there in my mind, the green of the hills being like a beacon of comfort tucked away to savour when I am feeling visually challenged by the landscape.


The question I ask myself here is how close together are comfort zones with being in ruts?  Where do we draw the line between staying with what is comfortable and make the decision to challenge ourselves, stretching our imaginations to what is possible, to allow us to grow and experience different emotions, feelings and situations?  Should we take the seemingly easier option of staying with what we are familiar with or choosing the option to extend ourselves beyond our known boundaries?  


I have a feeling that I will take the option of extending myself.


As an aside, the ducks did not want to travel with me on this short road trip.  They must have known about the flatness, lack of water and abundance of flies  in the Dalby area and the huge crowds at the Eumundi Markets which had me refusing to get out of the car and mingle, even though this had been the other destination of the road trip.  I admire the foresight of the ducks for their wanting to stay put in their comfort zone, even while I am coming out of mine!