From where I sit right now (the couch in fact!) I have an incredible view of the Melbourne skyline. It might be considered inspirational that only now I would start penning some thoughts about living in this city, but really it’s just coincidental. Writing a blog was always going to be a desperate attempt to for Ash and I to remain somewhat relevant in the lives of our friends and family back home. It’s also a nice chance for me to take a break from labouring over literature reviews or some other kind of academic BS and write something that might be mildly interesting.
In the true spirit of adopting my new colours, I’ve begun reading Bob Murphy’s book “Murphy’s Lore” in which he talks about how cathartic and enjoyable he found writing while he played professional footy. That was the real inspiration for finally getting off the couch (metaphorically of course) and sharing some thoughts. I also hope that in creating a public notice board for Ben and Ash’s life, it can be used for more than just a regular update of events, but for an exercise in open honesty about the ups and downs of living a life well outside of our comfort zone, in a place which can at times, feel very far from a home which we love.
Maybe you might find it interesting but more than likely you’ll be bored. So strap in! You’ve come halfway you may as well read until the end!
I thought I would begin by sharing the top 3 things I’ve learned about Melbourne.
- Driving kinda sucks here. Every road is bumpy bitumen littered with innumerable white lines painted in every direction. Car and Tram battle clumsily for road territory while pedestrians play real life Frogger in the traffic. Writing this I sound like I grew up on a farm in country WA but apparently, in Perth, getting from A to B is actually a fairly simple endeavour.
- Apparently pints aren’t really a thing over here…and what the heck is a pot? All I know is I seem to be paying more money for less beer.
- THERE ARE FREAKIN’ BATS. Many nights you can witness a horde of bats soaring over suburbia. Silhouettes against an azure-grey sky. At times like this I like to close my eyes and channel my inner Bruce Wayne. Mostly I’m just imagining the money.
Back home, life seemed fairly linear. Nothing was ever too unexpected or overwhelming. Since moving, I’ve experienced highs and lows like I haven’t before. In truth, that’s partly due to sleeping next to a case full of wild hormones who seem to have no sense for order whatsoever. That in itself is a steep learning curve no matter where on the planet you are. But, predominantly it’s due to an eventful and adventurous 5 or 6 months which, I can’t really complain at all about now can I? Adventure might sound playful but I tell you, it really makes you grow up. (Evidence for this — I’ve come to love making budgets. Like, I’m really digging just using my spare time to pop a slow jam on, get the spreadsheets out and start crunching some numbers)
Like any good story we’ve had days which peak with elation and nights filled with gloom and tear soaked pillows. Weeks when we’ve crawled to our next pay cheque and then suddenly been blessed with gifts. We’ve hi-fived after doing our first hook turn and kicked the curb after our first parking fine. We’ve had moments when we longed to be back home and times when we couldn’t care where in the world we were, as long as we had each other. It has been a period of supreme blessing for us but also filled with unequivocal life lessons.
Each day we are learning. Each day we are trusting in a divine plan which transcends well beyond our understanding. And more and more each day we are finding out that the beauty of it, is that we don’t need to understand it. The story has already been written for us. The adventure is not really in how the story will play out, but in how we can respond to it.
#somelbourne
