It's funny the journey life takes you on.
Seventeen years ago I was a pretty ill thirteen year old. A bad relapse of my M.E. had left me unable to move from the sofa without help from Mum, and with no energy to eat or drink.
During this time, Mum would try to encourage me to take an interest in anything, even those Australian soaps I had been so fond of (and that she was not.) Believing her to have become obsessed with one of them, Home and Away, I let her be and watch it whilst I tried to get the nausea to a manageable level so I could open my eyes.
When I was a little better, and able to watch TV; and actually take onboard and follow what was playing out on the screen, one of my favourite programmes was, of course, Home And Away.
As I lay on the sofa day after day, through the nausea and aches, I daydreamed about living in the fictional Summer Bay. A place far, far away from the reality of my current life,wWhere the sun always shone, it was always warm, and I was better and behaving like a normal teen.
During this time, Mum would try to encourage me to take an interest in anything, even those Australian soaps I had been so fond of (and that she was not.) Believing her to have become obsessed with one of them, Home and Away, I let her be and watch it whilst I tried to get the nausea to a manageable level so I could open my eyes.
When I was a little better, and able to watch TV; and actually take onboard and follow what was playing out on the screen, one of my favourite programmes was, of course, Home And Away.
As I lay on the sofa day after day, through the nausea and aches, I daydreamed about living in the fictional Summer Bay. A place far, far away from the reality of my current life,wWhere the sun always shone, it was always warm, and I was better and behaving like a normal teen.
Fast forward to the present day:
Although I do not live on Palm Beach, (where a lot of the exterior scenes are shot), I do live 38 km (23 miles) away from it. Not too bad considering how many kilometres/miles I was away when I was young!
We have been up there a handful of times already. Once we even caught sight of filming going on:
It is fast becoming our favourite spot for a punic lunch after getting up early for a Sunday morning surf - only half an hour further and we beat the traffic and crowds.
I never, ever, believed I would be here. I never let myself hope. It was just a daydream and that's where it would stay.
I still pinch myself whenever we are there. I may not have recovered from the M.E. but there is sunshine, and there is warmth; that I sure can enjoy: M.E. or no M.E.
