first impressions

The first shock to the system came when I walked into the place I'll be living for the next six months. It's a trailer home, about 15 metres long comprising two sleeping quarters at either end separated by a small living area in the middle through which you enter. Each dorm has two sets of bunks, a toilet and a shower which one walks through in order to get to the bedroom. I'm on the top bunk. At full stretch, the soles of my feet just brush the wall at the foot of my bed and the ceiling is about 40cm from my head.

We're parked in an industrial yard near the workshop of the harvesting outfit that I'm working for. We sleep about 50 metres from the major east-west rail-freight route in the states. Trains pass through every half hour or so. There are several level crossings near-by and the trains are required to blast their horns on approach - 24/7 - Ha! To be honest, being a deep sleeper, it hasn't been too much of a problem but it cracks me up when you hear these trains roaring by horns blaring.

The place has been decorated by the Aussies who flew in before us but left to harvest in California before we arrived...decorations include a bear with a VB logo drawn on its belly strung from the roof, an Australian flag half the size of the camper, and a sticker on the fridge which says "where the fuck's the pub?". There are two types of beverages in the fridge - one shelf for beer - Coors Light is the popular choice - and one shelf for water.

Standing at the sink the other day I looked to my left and saw a gun barrel pointing at me. One of the guys who's in California - a American bloke - brought his .22 rifle with him and had tucked it in to his bed in his absence. Thankfully I'm down the other end of the trailer! Quite a sight for a city-boy.

All of this sounds extreme, but it adds to the adventure. It was a shock at first but it's amazing how I've become quite fond of our camper. There's something homely about the lino floor and the fake wood finish on all the fittings. It's boy's-own; a fantastic bachelor pad.