Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Home at last


Returning to Sydney evoked emotions I was unprepared for. Earlier this year I wrote about the surprising experience of losing my identity following our relocation to London. For almost a year now I’ve felt a little lost in the universe. At times I’ve felt as though I have no home; a rather lonely and disconcerting sensation. However, all of this uncertainty vanished within days of returning to Sydney. My heart is very much wedded to Australia. I've come away feeling grounded again.

Our short trip Down Under was a wonderful end to a whirlwind trip across the globe. Garry was in town for five days and I for just over six days. My time was split evenly between time staying with Garry’s parents and time spent in the inner city with my best friend, Brendan.

While in Sydney Garry’s parents took us past our apartment in town. The area looks largely unchanged. We were also thrilled to see that recently constructed apartments across the road hadn’t detracted from the area’s look and feel. We also had a casual evening together with friends out West. Chris and Kerry have built the most wonderful home with plenty of space for a growing family of energetic kids.

I particularly appreciated my time with Brendan and his partner, Grant. It was wonderful to feel our friendship rekindled despite the tyranny of distance. I was thrilled to hear that Brendan and Grant are making plans to visit Europe next Spring. There’s already talk of a joint cruise through the Greek Islands. While in town we enjoyed breakfast on two occasions at our favourite local cafes, as well as an afternoon of leisurely drinks on the harbour front at Watson’s Bay. This casual alfresco lifestyle definitely gives Sydney an edge over the cultural variety of London.

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