Since arriving back in Melbourne three months ago, I've definitely been blessed when it comes to work. However, when it rains, it pours. In the past fortnight, I have been worked off my feet. This morning, my housemate was shocked to see me, as I'd always been out first thing in the morning, and home late in the evening. I've been pushed to the point of being abrupt to colleagues at times, and stressing out over seemingly-impossible deadlines that I could only meet by working very long hours.
This is the working life. This is what I missed by being overseas and travelling.
However, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm currently doing all the things I want to be doing - it's just a case of it all falling in my lap at once and, because of my perpetual FOMO, I always say "Yes, I'll do that!"
One of those things was doing a book talk at the library, talking to an audience about a few books that I've read recently. One of these books was "The Art of Travel" by Alain de Botton. At one point, I talked a bit about the experience of returning from travel, and coming back to a familiar place, falling into familiar patterns, and before you know it, that "life-changing experience" of travel is seemingly irrelevant. which can be discouraging. Afterwards, during afternoon tea, a lady from the audience came up to me, and told me that she agreed with my comments about returning from travel, but she also felt that she should remind me that returning is also a wonderful experience, because it's only then when you can truly appreciate the joys and comfort of being home.
This left me a little perplexed, to be honest. I've moved home every couple of years, to the point that I don't associate home with being a particular place. To use a cliche, it's always been where I've hung my hat, and thus has always been a transitory space. This other idea of home - one of an ownership of space, of permanent settlement, is still one that I've yet to embrace, let alone experience. I'm not so sure that I ever will, really.
I figure that, for now, the city of Melbourne and its diversity that I love, will be close enough to this idea of home for me.
