I’m not a world weary traveller. I’ve only been overseas three times in my 27 years (New Zealand, North America and Italy) but I have lived several different places along the east coast of Australia (and one place in America).

Boston , MA, USA

• Birth place
• Duration: < 1 yr
• Population: 645, 966
• Capital City

Vermont South, VIC

• Duration: 5-ish yrs
• Population: 11,416
• Suburb of Melbourne, 20km east

Cleveland, QLD

• 2 rentals while looking for a house.
• Duration: < 1 yr
• Population: 14,414
• Roughly 29km from Brisbane

Capalaba, QLD

• Duration: 6-ish yrs
• Population: 16,644
• Roughly 20km from Brisbane

Ivanhoe, VIC

• First place out of home
• Duration: 1.5 yrs
• Population: 11,085
• Suburb of Melbourne, 10km north-east

Wollongong, NSW

• Duration: 1 yr
• Population: 234,482
• Major City, 3rd largest in NSW, roughly 85km from Sydney

Albion Park Rail, NSW

• Moved in with that boy I met that time
• Duration: Ongoing
• Population: 6,937
• 21km from Wollongong, roughly 102km from Sydney

Last Thursday my boyfriend and I drove to northern Victoria to meet a man about a job. It’s the job my boyfriend’s been waiting for, a major opportunity for his dairy farming career. So that afternoon over a strawberry cider and Great Northern brew at the Tatura Hotel we made a decision. That decision has resulted in another town being added to the list:

Tatura, VIC

• On an actual farm which is massive
• Duration: ??
• Population: 3,533
• In the city of Greater Shepparton, 18km west of Shepparton, 167km north of Melbourne

Typing the stats out, Tatura doesn’t seem to be bucking the trend, if there even is a trend, but there are a few other things that add to the dramatic nature of this change.

1. I don’t have a drivers licence
2. Most of the places I’ve lived have been well under an hour to the coast
3. Resources for writers and writing are harder to come by in rural areas

I’m not complaining. I made this decision as much as my partner did and these are simply minor hurdles and adjustments. I’ll be getting my licence and finally facing a fear I’ve harboured for ten years. I’ll see what a river’s like, waves were never really my thing anyway. I’ll join Goulburn Valley Writers’ Group and take extreme advantage of any rural initiatives run by Writers Victoria. And most importantly I’ll be able to fully embrace my inner country girl, drinking hot cups of coffee, watching the herd from my back deck in my flanno and uggs (admit it, you’re jealous).

As for the rest, I can only hope my experience is not unlike that of The Presidents of the United States.

Wish me luck, there’ll be more to come I’m sure.