I was talking to another worker in Burringurrah today about writing this blog and creating an Instagram account - 'midwest_quest_wa' for other nurses who are considering working here. The entire conversation centered around the nicest things I've experienced since I've been here.
The sunrises. Spectacular. Walk a block away and you can experience the sunrise in the wilderness.
The sunsets. I only need to walk 50m down the road and I can experience the sunset against the backdrop of desert wilderness.
The stars. I have never seen stars like this. The town has street lights, but if you drive out to the airstrip at night and look up, the Milky Way appears as a smear of white in the sky. That's something you never see in the city!
The birds. In the morning and the evening. A huge number of birds. Weird birds I've never seen before. I'm going to do a post just about the birds I've seen since I've been here. I came here armed with binoculars and a book to help me identify bird types.
The people. It's taking me a while to remember names and get to know individuals, but I'm getting there. It's such a small community. There's an opportunity to make a big difference if you invest in going the extra mile within the community. At the moment the medical centre is kind of like a GP clinic, but there are plans to start a more holistic primary care model here. I don't think there's any need to wait. Follow-up and communication with community members is my first priority. And if they don't come in, it's pretty easy to walk by their house on the way home to give people the information they need or pass on a message.
