🔥 Campfires, Connection, and Country Roads

I used to dread the thought of country driving. I’m not sure why, at the time I’d never actually done any country driving. Now I love it. There’s nothing like the open road, loud tunes, dreadful singing and the knowledge that adventure awaits at the destination.

The destination for my latest trip was Boshack, for the Transplant Australia (WA Branch) Family Retreat.

.After a quick unpack, I left my dorm room and headed out to sit by the campfire, gaze at the beautiful lake, and chat with other transplant families.

As humans, longing for connection is part of our existence. Connection makes us feel uniquely human. With it, we’re part of something. As unique individuals, finding our tribe can be a complex process. Having the same interests or hobbies doesn’t mean people will get on. Chemistry is more nuanced than common ground. True connection goes beyond surface similarities. It’s about finding the people who get you—who understand your particular brand of weird.

The path to finding those people is usually a messy, trial-and-error process. You try, and feel like a square peg in a round hole, so you find a new group and try again. Rinse and repeat.

But I’ve found one exception to this. It’s this group of people from Transplant Australia with differencing interests, different backgrounds, from a mix of cultures and across multiple generations, from Boomers, to Gen Alpa. On paper, we sound like an unlikely mix. But the common thread that connects us is strong—just like the delicate threads of a spiderweb stubbornly holding on against the storm.

Connection is one of the driving forces behind Transplant Australia.There are unique challenges for individuals on the transplant waitlist, and for those who are navigating life post translation. And it’s not in isolation; the transplant journey affects not just the individual, but the entire family and its dynamic.

The weekend was jammed packed with activities, but there was also ample time to wander around the bush, or sit and chat. The Family Retreat is more than a chance to get away. It’s a chance to be with your tribe, outside a clinical setting. A chance to make connections, to share stories, and sometimes to just sit with other people who understand the journey.

Thanks for reading, Sandi xx