Four Years On...

It was exactly four years ago that I arrived in Alice Springs, a dry and dusty town in the middle of the Australian desert. There are only two reasons people come to Alice Springs: to work, or to escape something. I was the latter. The victim of a physically and emotionally abusive relationship, I gave up my friends and life in a popular Australian city and fled to Alice Springs. It was not an easy move for me. I hated the isolation, pined for family members left behind, and battled constantly to regain some of my self esteem. Four years on I have a love-hate relationship with Alice Springs. I still find the isolation stifling, but am now in a position to fly to Sydney or Brisbane twice a year, where I can visit museums and galleries, beaches and shops, family and friends. I have learnt to accept and live with all the limitations of Alice Springs, although it has taken me a while! I no longer shake my head in amazement at what locals call a shopping centre, and no longer raise eyebrows when I see someone in a hospital gown and drip line down at Red Rooster. A short while after arriving here I was blessed enough to meet Angie, who fast became my dearest friend and closest confidant. More a sister than a friend, and always just what I need. I have a career that I enjoy, and a home that is filled with laughter and love. I have a new set of friends (who are unaware of what I endured before moving to Alice), have put the past firmly behind me (mostly), and am safe. And I have air conditioning!