The Last Post?
So, almost a month after I arrived in Canberra and I've got a job, a place to live and even a much needed gym membership, but If I said it's been a smooth transition back into the routine of daily life I'd be lying. I knew it wasn't going to be easy to make the switch from the lifestyle and experiences I'd had in NZ, and particularly South America, but the challenge of getting my mindset back to something resembling what it had been in England all those months ago is by far the biggest I've experienced on this trip.
If I think about how I've travelled, it's clear that I quickly discovered that I wasn't really into the fast-paced, constantly-on-the-move lifestyle that a lot of travellers get involved in. As the trip went on I found myself favouring staying longer in a place, soaking up the atmosphere and trying as best I could to get into the local's way of life, instead of a couple of nights here, a few photos there and maybe a drunken evening, before stumbling back onto a bus to checkout the next sight.
Although my style of travel has it's negative points, and I've definitely paid the price for staying too long on at least one occasion, I've been told repeatedly on this trip not to have any regrets. Even though at times it's been scary, frustrating, boring, worrying and not least expensive, I can't say that I do.
Before I left home I always thought that travelling would probably broaden my horizons or whatever, and indeed it has. Looking back over the past 10 months as I sit here in a quiet café in Canberra, I think the places I've been to, things I've seen and most memorably, the people I've met have highlighted in the most powerful way what's important in life; not just to me but to society, at least as I've seen it. This may seem like a bit of a clichéd post-travel pondering, but after seeing and most importantly being a part of existences that I couldn't have imagined only last year, I think I've formed a new view of how to live.
So what of the future, or just so what? Well I'm hoping that the slower-paced and hopefully more relaxed circumstances I've found here in this peaceful and friendly city will go some way to helping me settle for a bit. A lot of people seem to think that Canberra is a bit too slow compared to the likes of Melbourne, Sydney and certainly London, but for me it seems ideal to take stock, recover and perhaps establish a foundation for further travels.
This may be the last post for a while; there's still a lot of countries to experience, sights to see and people to meet, but for the moment I'm happy enough to have a bit of a break and a few cups of tea. Some of you reading this may know there's a chance I'll be returning soon for a bit, so fingers crossed I'll be able to share a few stories not suitable for this blog on my return :)
Here's some photos of some Canberra wanderings, and my home for hopefully the best part of the next year - even though it's Winter we're pretty lucky with the weather!
Ciao
ps To those of you I've been really bad at staying in contact with, I apologise - hopefully the above will go some way to explaining why I've been off the radar for a bit.
