Thursday, August 26, 2010

Distance is a Bitch

The grass is always greener on the other side, even on the other side of the world.

So, I'm here in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and Dean is in New York City. I imagine that to him, being in Australia sounds a lot better than whatever he is doing there- picking up laundry, going to work, or even emptying the litter box. We've talked quite a bit since I've arrived here, maybe more than our pocketbooks will like, but even the twice daily calls leave us both wishing we could be where the other is. Right now, walking our dog sounds really good to me, even if it is raining there.

Since we've been in Cairns, we have eaten like kings (and big queens), and have made some fantastic new friends. We've seen the Cairns Esplanade, the Lagoon, and much of the scenic Boardwalk that edges the city's waterfront. We can see mountains from our balcony, and we have grown fond of the giant bats (Flying Foxes) that swoop by every evening, giving us a creepy and beautiful show. We have seen indigenous people, college aged backpackers, and tourists from every corner of the globe.

More than anything, however, we have seen the inside of our hotel rooms and the venue in which we will perform next week. Our noses have been in our scripts, and we are drilling our lines nightly. We work in the space (a funky bar, since the play is set in...a bar) from 9-3 daily, and work on lines and other scenes during breakfast and from about 5pm until bedtime. We want so much to make Dean proud of what we've done with his words, we've put our sightseeing and festival-going on hold until after our show is finished next week. Great band down the street? Can't go- we're rehearsing. Super cool stilt walkers and aerial acrobatics show? Sorry, we're rehearsing. Musicians from New York (who live a matter of blocks from us back home) performing one of Paul's favorite pieces? Yeah, you know it. We're rehearsing.

The cool thing is that it doesn't feel like a sacrifice to put off seeing our surroundings. This script is so beautifully constructed, so thoughtful, so rich on many levels...it deserves, demands our attention to detail. And I'd say that even if I wasn't married to the playwright- it's that good.

Dean arrives in Cairns on Sunday (that's Saturday to you in the USA), and I couldn't be happier. Happy to have him see the work we've done. Happy to save some money on those overseas calls. I'll be happy to take him to breakfast at our new favorite restaurant, Twelve B.C. Happy to show him the bats every night.

But mostly, I'll be happy that we'll be in the same place. And happy that he'll see he hasn't missed much, and that we saved all the sightseeing until he got here.

Yes, distance can be a bitch. But meeting your loved one at the airport on the other side of the world...well, that's some pretty green grass.

2 comments:

  1. Please find somewhere that serves "Shrimp on the Barbie" so I'll know FOR SURE that Paul Hogan wasn't lying to me. Apparently, said dish is a MYTH!

    Also, beware of smiling men bearing Vegemite sandwiches.

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  2. I totally understand this post Monica. And the one that followed. Mother Nature is a bitch and has ruined many a homecoming and several goodbyes for me. Sounds weird on the goodbye thing but when you've said your goodbye and have mentally prepared yourself to be solo for several months, it just about killed me when he'd walk in the door that same day saying they couldn't take off due to the weather. So bittersweet - I loved having the extra time together but then had to say goodbye AGAIN! Anyway, just an FYI, in case you two lovebirds are separated by an ocean again due to Dean's inevitable future successes, try Skype. It's free calling from skype to skype through your laptops and you can use it through your smart phone :)
    Oh, and Mother Nature's twin bitch sister is the U.S. military - you can never trust what she says is going to happen. I just learned to make plans to visit Maxwell in port with the idea that if he made it, that was my bonus for a cool trip!
    Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip!

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