I am currently circling my tongue inside my mouth and licking the stain of Swiss dark chocolate off my lips, followed by some watered down lemonade. Not my usual preference for dinner, but at this hour none of my decisions seem to be of the norm. Early this afternoon I decided to start reading a novel that had been sitting in my carry bag for some time, I have already travelled through the whole book and back and am now left with an uncontrollable desire to document some of my thoughts.
Let’s start with Melbourne. I have been back for exactly 7 days now, and my heart is still at ease whenever someone mentions the city. I find myself already planning my next holiday back there. I travelled with 8 other girls, none in which can vouch to ever return there again. The girls entered with high expectation, entering as skeptics more so then passive, unbiased observers. I entered with arms wide open, guaranteed to explore based on my own experience and not so much of others. Quiet the adventure was had from day one of arrival. Here is just a collection of warm memories I have been left with:
- A man assuring us our accommodation is amongst a brothel strip. He was wrong.
- Walking down the brothel strip coming back from Queen Victoria Markets and being mistaken for a prostitute- not directly but with their eyes.
- The confidence of the men in Melbourne. They know what they want, and they act immediately. A breath of fresh air.
- Alcohol at Nandos- I may not eat the meat, but I will definitely drink the drinks!
- Fooling around with the unexpected, when all I really wanted was what I came for that night.
- Fitzroy a suburb I dream to call home one day.
- Samantha’s Sleep Mix every night. Falling asleep to the sounds of waves crashing by the shore and waking up to a soft mellow vocal.
- A cider by the pool complimented by the occasional Damiana wrapped in peaches and cream paper, as I documented my day in my mind, in my elephant paper journal or to a friend on the phone.
- The food! Every meal I had exceeded anything I had ever put in my mouth before, catering my vegetarian needs. From pumpkin and ricotta pasta at a small Italian café, to tofu wraps at the Veggie Bar, too a creamy risotto in a hidden alley way on Bourke Street. Not to mention the ongoing complimentary drinks and entrees just for choosing their restaurant.
- The sanctuary of the Hot Springs. The solitary state I found myself taking in was breath taking.
- Standing in the rain as I awaited Shi at Flinders train station, not worried about my appearance but merely observing the beauty of my surroundings. Although my head spun a few times unexpectedly.
- Reigniting my love and passion for books, spending hours in bookstores throughout the whole trip losing my mind in pages of individuality and rarity.
- My sudden curiosity in a guy called Angus from a surf shop, after initially having no interest towards him at all.
- Laying eyes on a book called, the Golden Age of Neglect by Ed Templeton. I have never felt so inspired, sick and nervous all at the same time.
- Visiting a place 2 hours away from Melbourne, to find I had painted it 2 years ago in art class to represent a place I dreamt to find freedom and escape. Wow.
- Dancing on a rooftop of a building in the city while it poured down with rain.
- Being accused of smoking weed at a public, populated restaurant- I still laugh at this!
- A night with Art vs. Science at Bandroom, being accompanied by the boys themselves was a good laugh. Whoever cleaned the bathroom the next day, I feel sorry for as I may have decorated it with the remainders of that night. HA!
- My sudden craving for hummus and scrambled eggs on Sydney road, easily met at a kebab store near by. My unpolished Arabic rewarded me with a satisfying feast.
- Chanting foolish songs and dancing recklessly down the city streets at night.
- The adventures of hunting for a specific kind of ingredient at the darkest hours.
- The art, the art, the art.
- The massive amounts of walking!
- The unusual creatures moping and wheeling their way around the trams. At one point arguing with a man, who was insisting I sit down when all I really wanted to do was stare out the window on my two feet.
- And finally, not catching a bus down to Phillip Island to explore new heights within myself. While at the time I was blinded by desire or should I say lust, I now realize it was quiet possibly the best decision made as I would have wasted my time. Although I still do wonder what I could have found…
So now I sit here, on this wooden beach chair by my computer desk, constantly looking over my shoulder to see tiny little fairy lights glowing at the corner of my eye. My room now the only place that reminds me of my experience. I have read 2 books in two days. Both in which I find myself ‘trippin’ in its relevance to my current situation. I have this constant 3am mood which I hope is met with the light of dawn soon…
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