Reflections

I’m on my way back to Australia. Our Scottish stay was a highlight. The people and  the country just amazing

 So now after  seven weeks abroad travelling through many countries and about to stop off in Hong Kong, it’s  all finally drawing to a close.

 It’s been an experience and a half.

The traveling has been intense, with 23 flights,  hours in airports queue’s , uncountable motel rooms, hire cars with GPS’s that don’t like the address we give them , and  being   crammed up in buses ,trains and on ferries.

 We began as a group of strangers from all over Australia and from different farming sectors.  We stayed ,travelled,  ate , explored and met people, on farms,  in government offices ,  at lobbying organizations,  in law  firms, and  Research centers. We went to factories , and processing plants, Capitol Hill, Niagara falls and  Stayed at Copacabana beach the same night as  Obama , the night he endorsed war and initiated missile attack on Lybia.

We flew from one part  of the globe to another; -  all together.   We ate Foie Gras and Haggis and burgers and hot dogs.  We saw human waste water turned into water for irrigating lettuce. We saw gold mines and coffee plantations,  watched  pigeon, pheasants and Hare  being prepared ,  we dined with the  Australian Ambassadors   in Brazil whilst his butler waited on us and constantly topped up our drinks, and  had dinner parties hosted  in our honor .  We lost half the group in Mexico, found our way onto trains that our tickets were not dated for and used cable cars to get to the top of mountains.

Was it good? Too right it was.

 There were times when I wanted to go home and times where I laughed till I cried. I learnt and grew and felt confident and insecure, homesick and every other emotion and challenge I reckon you can feel along the way.

It wasn’t just the travelling to exotic countries like Brazil and seeing agriculture that was the benefit of this . It was the personal growth, the challenging and at times arduous schedule that pushed you to new levels that was, what made the trip such an experience.

 But most of all it was the group of Aussies I traveled with. A team who looked out for each other,  a team who had fun, a team  who cared,  a team who could challenge each other and be respectful .  How fortunate I was to have traveled with this group. I didn’t even know or realize all this  until the end . Right now an as I reflect  on this  I am beginning to understand the enormity of what I have been through and experienced.  

In my next blog I will begin to capture the learning's I have gained of  "what is the value of Agriculture"

Boy do I have a head full of learning's and ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!