To My Aussie Mates

(I thought I would dedicate a post to my Australian friends.  So, here goes mates!)

            The flight was miserable.  Not only was I leaving my Wife and 4 children behind, but I was leaving all my “physical” friends in addition to online friends.  You see, I was an avid gamer.  I lead a group of online players into computer produced instances which involved complex boss fights with a deeply imbedded strategy that required hours of studying and preparation to succeed.  The name for this group was a “guild,” and the instances were called “raids.”  These raids would take up 15-20 hours a week of my time in the evening after the wife and kids were fast asleep.  This hobby, I guess you could call it, taught me priceless skills I would later use in my professional and personal lives.  To leave this group of people was hard, but even harder was the prospect of having to create a whole new network of friends to play with online – 15 hours ahead of home’s time zone.

            Now that you have the background, let us continue on this epic journey! Once I touched down in South Korea for my would-be thirteen-month tour, it was very clear things would be different.  Logging onto my game I found a friends list that resembled a ghost town.  But wait, there was a group looking for players.  And they spoke English!  After joining the voice chat, I heard the unmistakable accent through my headphones.  They were all Australians!  This group of friends would provide the months and months of entertainment, laughter, and criticism needed to make it through such a long time away from home.

            Fast-forward five years and I find myself sitting in my first Chemistry class as a new Chemistry Major in a small, private college in Pineville, Louisiana.  As I cased the room looking for the perfect spot, which of course would be at the far back right of the room, I spotted a young man in his mid-twenties sitting in that very area.  So, I decided to sit and say, “hello.”  Once he spoke, I heard that undeniable accent.  “Are you from Australia,” I asked?  “Yes!,” he said, and the relationship rocketed off from there.  Unbeknownst to me, this relationship still lasts until this day. Although bouts with PTSD have left significant impacts on the relationship, he has helped me through some hard times. 

            This post is not as much about PTSD as it is about the people who support us through it.  My Aussie friends have helped me through some rough times, old and new.  They are, in my opinion, one of the most friendly and welcoming cultures in our world today.  That’s it, and thanks for reading!

Jim