Goodbye Bendigo, Hello New Opportunities

Well, it has been just over a year.

When I got here, to this little city in the middle of nowhere, with its great architecture and hints of bygone goldrush times I had big hopes. But they haven't really come to fruition for me. It has been a nice enough place to live, but it is a bit far from the hustle and bustle which I have become accustomed to.

Sure, it is only a couple of hours to the big smoke - but actually that is four hours travel on crowded trains in a day with very early starts and late finishes. I did consider moving, but there is that whole chicken and egg thing again - can't get a job without and address and can't get a rental without a job. Oh well. Not even when I was willing to commute in the short term.

I'm going to miss the walkability of Bendigo, the trams and the view from up high in the backyard. I'll miss the rosellas too, coming to visit in the trees outside the window; but I am sure we will find some more feathers friends. The bats too with their little spats in the trees at the park when you would expect them to be asleep and then chattering outside the window at night. I love the style of houses and would have bought one and stayed if the job thing had worked out.

 Chancery Lane

Can't say I'm going to miss anybody, because I haven't actually met anybody to miss. Even my occasional ventures to join in meetings with the family history group did not find a coffee buddy, and fellow students living locally seemed to not be inclined to be social either. I will miss the Farmer's market, and the local coffee and goodies at Hustle.

Vahland Drinking Fountain & Conservatory Gardens

Still, I have been lucky to stay as a house guest mostly while I have studied and it has been great to be able to focus on all of that. I didn't anticipate when I began this journey in August last year that I would be submitting my final assignment in the next couple of weeks.

Wildflowers in the back lawn before the lawnmower man came

So now, it is onward and upwards. This has just been an obstacle in the pursuit of happiness, but nonetheless an obstacle which has allowed me to study and made me more determined that I can make this all work.

Bright yellow canola fields

I am looking forward to being a bit more connected, and being able to walk down streets which are a bit busier and filled with people.

Parsley anyone ? Ours has turned into a jungle

So where to now ? You will have to wait and see.

#52Ancestors, Week 32, Youngest

Oldest last week, youngest this week. I did think about my brother – he’s the youngest in my nuclear family, and it is his birthday this week too. But then, I thought I would follow the theme from last week.

So Happy Birthday little bro. Another trip around the sun completed safely and great things to look forward to on the next trip.

Looking at my tree, I can see I have made some additions this year. My cousin had her second daughter in June 2018 and there are three others, either here on or the way.

Family history often focuses more on the people who have gone before, researching their lives and trying to form a better picture of who they were and what their lives were like. It is great being able to add new people and happy events to the family though, because all the research is for them, ultimately.

It got me thinking about relationships though, and how often branches of our trees grow at different pace to others. I have looked at the relationship of these youngest people compared to my daughter since they are related to her on both branches of her tree.

Already this year a new 2^nd cousin and 4^th cousin once removed have been welcomed and added with another 4^th cousin once removed and 5^th cousin once removed on their way. You can see how far back the common ancestors are for these new family members; great grandparents, 3x great grandparents and 4xgreat grandparents. These new little twiglets are all on my side of her tree.

On her paternal side of the tree though things are a little different. In the past couple of years there have been additions who include a 1^st cousin once removed and THREE 1^st cousins twice removed. Their common ancestors are much closer – her grandparents ! Those three 1^st cousins twice removed are the GRANDchildren of her first cousins.

My side of the tree doesn’t stand a chance catching up to that growth. But nevertheless, each new little twig that I add to the tree is welcome. I hope that someday all my hard work will answer any questions they might have about their ancestors.