I just completed a unit on Indigenous Education which has totally changed my viewpoint towards the importance of history. Viewing the suffering of the past on Indigenous tribes within Australia by the colonialists impacted my thoughts on white power and now white America, history is now repeating itself with this reign of racism by the orange man in power. One day we will look back on history and say WTH happened?

In my time in the US, my activist nature has been reignited and my thoughts on the future are away from here on a new adventure. Australia still has their fair share of idiots, so there is no escape. To cope with the madness in the daily news I have been very selective about what I read and focus on like minded peeps like folks at Penzeys Spices who have a lot to say about rights for all. In todays email I read:

“At the heart of cooking is the belief that when we give of ourselves to help others the world becomes a better place. Through cooking we’ve come to understand the strength of kindness really can heal the world. The next great moment for kindness comes 11.6.18 on Election Day. Make your plan to vote, but please give thought to encouraging others to vote, too. You are a Cook, people look up to you. Your encouragement means everything. Let them know how important this election is. Help them put together the ingredients they need for a healthy and satisfying voting experience. You have the skills. You have the kindness. Please put them to good use. —Thanks!” (Penzeys Spices, 3rd Oct 2018)

So what has inspired me to write about Penzeys and their amazing voice on activism is that I am clearing out my spice cupboard, the pic above is what is moving on. Thinking about spices and where they originate from is everywhere in the world and every day in the kitchen, we are creating multicultural links to the world. That is what makes me happy, the thoughts of going back to Australia and eating all the amazing cuisines that I miss especially Middle eastern food. Yeah, I get it in Sunnyvale but in my hood in Melbourne it is authentic.

Cleaning out my place and moving on is such a reflective experience where I feel I can look at many lessons learned from our time here. When I first moved here as a new mother I knew no one and over time and through community we now have friends and have met our people. It has been an interesting 12 years wavering from depression to joy – when I really could not wait to go back after 4 years but then we continued to stay as the kids were having an incredible school experience. I have enjoyed the journey of mother, wife, artist, business owner, volunteer and now a teacher in the time and it is now time to take my experience back home and share the basket of what my personal learning journey into another space in time. Growing up from the many experiences of the time here and moving home gives me a sense of peace – no more feeling angry and giving that privileged wanker in a BMW the finger anymore because I know our time is nearly done. And cheers to that!