A Foggy Morning and a Blue Tree

Daily miles: 25.51 | Total miles: 7,444.79

My alarm rang at 6:30am, but the warmth of the heated blanket made it impossible to get up. I must have hit snooze—or maybe even turned it off—because I didn’t crawl out of bed until 7:10am. Mama mia, was it cold in the van!

After packing and grabbing some of the delicious food Glenda had prepared for me, I stepped out into the fog to load my buggy. My fingertips were already ice-cold. Gobb—or Bob, as I initially misunderstood his name—was up and in good spirits, chatting with me briefly. Ron and Glenda came outside to say their goodbyes, and even the rooster added its own farewell, crowing quite loudly as I set off into the fog. I felt grateful once again for the wonderful connections I’ve made along the way.

The first part of the run took me over a sandy road and across the train tracks. Running alongside the tracks, the sun was slowly pushing through the fog, creating a beautiful grey morning glow. Passing through Dimboola, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things so I wouldn’t have to go into town later. I had a lovely chat with Paulina behind the counter, leaving the store feeling both thought-provoked and delighted.

As my body warmed up, the sun grew strong enough that I could run in just my shirt. Along the way, I met a kind lady in front of the hospital and chatted for a while before heading back onto the highway. It was such a beautiful day after yesterday’s rain. I stopped only briefly here and there, but mostly ran steadily, taking in the scenery.

One memorable sight was a blue tree, part of the Blue Tree Project. I’ve seen quite a few of these on my way so far here in Australia. The project aims to:

• Spark conversations about mental health and well-being
• Break down the stigma associated with mental illness
• Encourage people to speak up when they are struggling
• Serve as a visual reminder that it’s okay to not be okay, and that help is available

Arriving in Nhill earlier than expected, I felt good and was happy to take it easy. The hotel here is charming and even has a pinball museum, which brought back memories of old restaurants—I haven’t seen a flipper box in quite a while!

I’m rested, inspired, and ready for tomorrow. I hope you’ll join me on the journey—see you then. Andrea