Friday 26 October 2012

The Wise Old Man Was Right

When I was in India back in 2009 I met a old man in the northern city of Varanasi. In actual fact he was a palm reader, but that's not really important right now. As we spoke to told me that there was one place in the world that I was meant to be, but as of yet I hadn't found it.

He said his place was Varanasi. This is where he was meant to be, but for me, it wasn't my home town, or even my home state or country. It was far away and that eventually I would find it. At the time I was nodding politely taking in everything he was telling me not trying to give any expressions on my face about anything. I didn't want him to think he was barking up the right tree and continue telling me things that he thought I wanted to hear. I guess I was trying to test him, see what he really thought of me, as he was supposed to be a palm reader after all.

He did tell me some specific things that actually were factors in my life, personal things that were hard to make general to everyone, so I listened closely to everything he told me.

This concept of happiness being far away I could quite believe. Although the cynical side of my thought 'Well yeah, I am travelling in India right now, I'm obviously curious about places far away!' but then again the contentment he spoke of was on a much deeper level, and I understood this.

So my point is this: I think he was right.

Just how right, I can't say at the moment but I'm pretty sure I'll find out.

I'm not saying this guy is some Yoda person who knows everything but he knew or could sense something.

Back in March of this year, when I left Sydney and spent a few weeks in Byron and the Yoga ashram I returned to Sydney and I was the happiest version of me I've ever been. As clichéd as it sounds I was on top of the world. The time out just made everything click and I realised my place was Australia. Where exactly I didn't know but there was something that made me come here- for I had no real reason or desire to- and its paid off.

This is life now though, not just some holiday and it doesn't even feel like I'm travelling right now. This is just real life. I have a job and a house. I'm going to the gym, I'm spending time with friends, I'm even attending night classes!

In fact it was probably the classes that made me realise just how much I love this place. After my first writing class I felt so inspired and comfortable with my life I knew this is where I was supposed to be.

Melbourne is not just my mango, but at the moment its my place. For how long, I'm not sure- but right now I have no desire to move on. Not yet anyway.