No-one ever questions the importance of family for, without them, where would we be.
As our family has grown with Elliot's arrival last year, its importance has also grown. Equally, after many years of living abroad, the value of other aspects of our life has increased.
By relying on relative strangers for support in the absence of family, we've gained a deeper appreciation of friends made along the way and communities of people who've lent their support to us.
The recent bush fires in Sydney made the value of both seem so much greater.
Friends and Communities. Photo credit: Love is Everything
The value of friendship
We learned the true value of friendship on this international journey.
Not the kind of friendship where you go to someone's house for afternoon tea or the kind of friendship where you talk by email, maybe Skype once in a while.
This was different.
This was the kind of friendship that arose in the strangest of places - at the chiropractor's office or at the local dog park. Friendship borne of a unique situation, when someone saw we were in need or alone and could do with a friendly face.
This was also friendship borne of similar circumstances, when two people realised they'd come together from different corners of the planet - they willingly shared stories, gave each other advice, and were there for each other when times got tough.
These were the kinds of friends that rallied together to help a young couple say goodbye. That organised a yard sale in the rain and bought their second-hand stuff that no other person would rightly buy. These were friends who didn't look for anything in return - helping out with odd jobs around a couple's new Sydney home with no expectations and certainly no regrets.
The need for community
On this blog, I've seen how necessary community can be.
I've met countless individuals in the expat and travel space - generous people who've given me their time and experience to answer questions or share their work, sometimes on this blog and always for free.
Without these people and without the sense of community they've helped create here, my writing and this site wouldn't likely amount to much.
An audience in itself is not social, interactive or two-way where as a community is a living, breathing, interactive entity where people choose to hold two-way conversations. You don't need to be part of the community on this blog - you might prefer to read and watch - but there are those that enjoy participating as well as sharing with their friends.
When you do, it adds a depth to the blog that is hard to define.
The value of this community becomes such that I feel privileged to be connected to a like-minded group of people and thankful such a group exists to help others embarking on a similar journey to our own.
The power of both
When friendship and community come together, they are incredibly powerful things. I saw the full power of both this past fortnight.
One of our Northern Beaches friends organised a collection for the families who'd lost their homes in the recent devastating bush fires. My wife offered to drive up to the Blue Mountains to drop off some of the items. A friend of my wife's offered to give the items out.
The power of friendship.
Our car was packed full of the most thoughtful and considerate items. Not second-hand odds n' sods but brand new purchases paid for by local families wanting to offer their support. Bags full of clothing and toys, carefully packed and signed by young children. Duvets, toiletries, books, torches, and boxes and boxes of food and drink.
The power of community.
This is a city and region notorious for the inexplicable divide between its many suburbs - in effect, this is a city of many, many small towns. If you live in the Blue Mountains, you're considered to be a snob. If you live on the Northern Beaches, you must therefore have money. If you come from Sydney's West, well, you're a Westie and that's seen by all as no good thing.
As the fires burned and the people donated, barriers and misconceptions all but disappeared. Communities came together to collect and to hand out. Community spirit in the wider Sydney area could not be beaten.
And the value, necessity and power of community and friendship were apparent for all to see.
How important is community to you? Have you relied on friendship and community on your own journey? Were you affected by the recent bush fires here in New South Wales?
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