France: a reflection
So it's been more than 6 months since I returned from my 5 month journey to France. So this theoretically means that I've been back in Australia for more time than I spent in France. I'll just let that sink in...
To start, as soon as you re-renter a country after an extended period of time away, you go back to your ritual life pretty quickly and fairly easily, well this was in my case. For me, it did not feel like I had left Australia for 5 months, rather it felt like yesterday that I even left Australia. And it felt like yesterday for much of the time I was overseas. To put it lightly, I guess it felt like time had stopped in Australia and I picked up from where I left off when I got back.
To be honest, the past 6 months have flown by, as soon as I returned, it wasn't hard to get back into the swing of things here in Australia, school came round, harder than ever as I commence my last two years of high school. I suppose the only way to explain this, is that I've been living my life.
One thing that did change when I returned, was my appreciation for Melbourne and Australia. All my life I've wanted to live in another country, experience different cultures. Some of the countries I always wanted to grow up in included; Norway, Canada, Japan and England. These countries and many others had always struck me as beautiful, maybe rich in tradition or even just somewhere where my dreams were fulfilled or that there was some rad tradition when you finish high school. So I guess I felt that Australia was isolated from the world, I wanted to be in the centre hub for travelling, like Europe, where you could easily country-hop around and not have to endure a 24hour plane flight to reach it.
The beauty of Australia I guess is that, for me at least, I feel it's a novelty to travel around to places like Europe, as it doesn't feel like home and it's not next door, I guess what I mean to say is I don't take it for granted and I certainly do not feel like it's something I could do everyday. On the contrary when I was in France, the state I stayed in bordered Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, all these countries were only a 2 hour car trip away and easily affordable as a day trip. 2 hours of driving from where I am in Australia won't even take you interstate let alone maybe to some mountains to go skiing. In France, interstate travel was easily accessible by the network of trains, visiting friends and family on the other side of the country is easier than if we were to in Australia try and visit our friends who live in Sydney or Adelaide.
In short, I came back with a newfound love for the city and country I live in. I feel I am discovering or rediscovering the great city I live in and would not rather be anywhere else. Melbourne is a growing city and never fails to please me, whether it be sunny, cloudy or raining.
Right now I am thoroughly enjoying my life back in Melbourne, never have I been happier to be living here, and although I may not intend to call it home forever, now I am proud to say I live here in this great city, even if many of friends may disagree.
To start, as soon as you re-renter a country after an extended period of time away, you go back to your ritual life pretty quickly and fairly easily, well this was in my case. For me, it did not feel like I had left Australia for 5 months, rather it felt like yesterday that I even left Australia. And it felt like yesterday for much of the time I was overseas. To put it lightly, I guess it felt like time had stopped in Australia and I picked up from where I left off when I got back.
To be honest, the past 6 months have flown by, as soon as I returned, it wasn't hard to get back into the swing of things here in Australia, school came round, harder than ever as I commence my last two years of high school. I suppose the only way to explain this, is that I've been living my life.
One thing that did change when I returned, was my appreciation for Melbourne and Australia. All my life I've wanted to live in another country, experience different cultures. Some of the countries I always wanted to grow up in included; Norway, Canada, Japan and England. These countries and many others had always struck me as beautiful, maybe rich in tradition or even just somewhere where my dreams were fulfilled or that there was some rad tradition when you finish high school. So I guess I felt that Australia was isolated from the world, I wanted to be in the centre hub for travelling, like Europe, where you could easily country-hop around and not have to endure a 24hour plane flight to reach it.
The beauty of Australia I guess is that, for me at least, I feel it's a novelty to travel around to places like Europe, as it doesn't feel like home and it's not next door, I guess what I mean to say is I don't take it for granted and I certainly do not feel like it's something I could do everyday. On the contrary when I was in France, the state I stayed in bordered Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany, all these countries were only a 2 hour car trip away and easily affordable as a day trip. 2 hours of driving from where I am in Australia won't even take you interstate let alone maybe to some mountains to go skiing. In France, interstate travel was easily accessible by the network of trains, visiting friends and family on the other side of the country is easier than if we were to in Australia try and visit our friends who live in Sydney or Adelaide.
In short, I came back with a newfound love for the city and country I live in. I feel I am discovering or rediscovering the great city I live in and would not rather be anywhere else. Melbourne is a growing city and never fails to please me, whether it be sunny, cloudy or raining.
Right now I am thoroughly enjoying my life back in Melbourne, never have I been happier to be living here, and although I may not intend to call it home forever, now I am proud to say I live here in this great city, even if many of friends may disagree.
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Okay, I have no idea what I just wrote, it was more or less word vomit on a post about my thoughts having returned to Melbourne after 5 months away.
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