Moving to a new country is a big thing for anyone at anytime, no matter how similar the two places might be. In moving from Australia to Hong Kong to be with my partner I feel like I am throwing myself into the unknown, away from a city that I know well and love, Melbourne.
What will I feel, think and discover about this new city? How will it change me? Will I ever live permanently back in Melbourne again?
Amid all the craziness of finishing up at work (and as a kindergarten teacher this means disentangling myself from the many complicated and quite emotionally intense relationships that happen in early childhood) and of packing up our lives, there are still a few moments of time to appreciate all that I love about this place.
Walking up through Fitzroy the other day, I experienced a beautiful and bittersweet moment of Melbourne life - I was walking with M. through one of the smallest streets in Fitzroy, surrounded by old redbrick factories that have now almost all been turned into expensive housing. The sky was blue, the day was balmy, ivy was growing up walls, giving them a sense of age and dignity, while in the background the sounds of a saxophone playing jazz could be heard clearly over the quiet buzz of city life. A feeling of happiness washed over me, and a sense of the sweetness of life, even against the looming threat of human-induced climate change.
I will miss moments like this... what will I find instead?
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