by Maya Michel

Created on: May 23, 2009

Ballina by the Sea, Australia.

I had the perfect childhood growing up on the Chesapeake Bay. My dad was a waterman and he blessed his children with his love of all things nautical. I crave the water. I loved the down-home country feel of low country river deltas, boats, water skis, fresh seafood, plenty of sunshine and the scents of the river.

I did a lot of traveling in my early adult years and I loved every single place that I lay my head. Serene years in the Appalachian mountains where I first fell in love. Months in Mexico with hammocks and quiet, gentle people; years in San Diego County that suited a twenty something adventurist to a tee; Lake Tahoe with its majestic beauty and roads that have no end; a little green island in the Caribbean with bananas, mangoes and tortillas for breakfast; and finally, Beautiful Ballina-by-the-Sea.

We came here for a number of reasons. Primarily, the surf. Uncluttered beaches that squeak as we run on sand as white and fine as cornflour, California style of laid-back living with hills ringing those perfect points. Land prices that allowed a young couple to afford a property and build our own ocean-view home with our own hands. Our children went to a school that sat in a rainforest with 52 students and three teachers.

A two hour drive from home is the bustling capital city of Brisbane, a one hour drive is the glamorous Gold Coast. Fifteen minutes away is busy Byron Bay, where international musicians come for a break. It's not unusual to go to the local hotel and find Michael Franti or Ben Harper sitting in on a set with a local muso.

Art, theatre, five star foods and accommodations are near enough to spontaneously go to when the urge hits. Yet all around us are rainforests and bushwalks, small country towns and tea gardens.

Australia has a socialised medicine system. Yes we pay a lot more in taxes than we did in America but we also earn a lot more. Minimum wage is about $13 an hour as opposed to $6 in the States. And when we are hurt or our children are in need, the visit to the ER is free. That's right, I said FREE. Our son was not blessed with the excellent health of his siblings and has spent months in the hospital. He's had countless tests and operations ~ we have never been charged. Good health is of primary importance here.

We are in a sub-tropical weather zone. It rarely goes below 10 degrees Celcius, which is roughly 50 Farenheit. The summers get hot but generally not above 35 (100 degrees F). Most of the year is moderate and sunny but we also have wild electric thunderstorms and thunderhead clouds in blue, blue skies and the hills that surround us are emerald green.

And, to take me back home, I live on the river. My floor-to-ceiling windows that catch a squall as it shoots through from the ocean and brings the scent of the river in the evening air. I have those blessed gifts of my childhood. Bobbling on the river on an innertube is my idea of perfection. Laying in my hammock with a good book as the soft breezes waft through my verandah is about as good as it can get. Summertime and the livin is easy, all year long.

This is where I live.

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