The Melbourne Chapters: The Characters

While nobody’s ever going to be quite like those friends that you’ve grown up with, those friends that you meet while your away from home are the ones you hold in your memories and talk about for years to come. So if your mentioned be honoured, for you will be someone I sharn’t be forgetting.

Calum and Fraser

Two brothers from Edinburgh (via Perth) I met while working at the Mt Erica.

Both very dry and sarcastic to the point that unless you know them you don’t know whether they are just being cynical and negative or joking or even both.

I met Calum when I first started at the Mt Erica. In fact he was my manager. When I first met Calum I actually thought he was rather good looking and sweet, not that I ever told him so. Of the two of them he is definitely the more whimsical. Well unless he’s around his brother that is. He idolises his brother, not that Fraser would really notice I don’t think. Calum’s the friend that you have that has a lot of random useless knowledge self admittedly learnt from Wikipedia, but would be very handy to have around in a quiz. He’s an idealist. He wishes away his days for ideas for bigger and better things. And with Fraser’s drive for wanting better things he might just get there. He just needs the push. Calum is dependable, which is a brilliant quality to have. He works hard and is reliable and I hope one day he finds what is that he really dreams about and gets it.  If it wasn’t Calum a lot of things that made being in Melbourne so good wouldn’t have happened so for this I am truly grateful.

Fraser, the drier and more sarcastic of the two, although mostly sounds bitter and angry with the world is really quite sharp and witty if you actually listen carefully. His outtake on the world although at times a little jaded, is unique and right on even though (I’m not sure he’ll agree) but believes the world revolves around him and that things happen to him rather than him going out and making them happen. I love the way he sees the world and unlike most guys openly admits to his love of cats. Very animal orientated, I always imagined that inside his brain pandas walked down the street carrying briefcases and cats served you in bars and monkeys worked in kitchens. I wished my brain worked like that too.  (I wrote this in March)

Elisa

I lived in a shared house for around six months in the south of the city but most notable of the people I lived with was an Italian girl called Elisa. She was my roommate so consequently we spent a lot of time together and then eventually went travelling in Indonesia together right before she left to return to Italy. Elisa is one of those people that lights up a room when she’s in it. Her (very) Italian characteristics make her one of the most awesome people I’ve ever known. She has guts and isn’t afraid to say what she really thinks. Her willingness to work hard for two years to afford to jack it all in and head to Australia was inspirational. And even though she was here to get away from it all her loyalty to people she’d met at work in Melbourne made her continue to work hard over here too. She has a heart of gold and a very lovable animated personality.

Patrick, Dave and Ben (A friend I met in Budapest and his flatmates)

I would have been on the first plane back to England if it hadn’t been for these guys generosity and their hallway landing! I will be eternally grateful! And, you were the guys to introduce me to Community, you guys changed my life! haha

The Rest of The Mount Erica People

Marcin- Our crazy Polish manager. We fought like cat and dog but that’s only cos we got on so well. So many ridiculious drinking sessions and of course the unforgettable duck tongues and jellyfish night at the Supper Inn with Asis!

Collin Marshall Epstein! Texan graffiti artist extrodinaire… when I come to NY you better believe I’m looking you up J Optimist and all round good guy. He’s the best friend you wished you’d always had. Its people like Collin that make you like Americans. You can’t help but love Collin and even Calum admitted to having a man crush on him. So many nights drinking after hours and playing pool at the Erica and Lucky Cock! He has one super lucky very lovely girlfriend Kayla too.

Morgan, the self-deprecating sweetheart with a heart of gold, the emotionally charged drama student, full of knowledge beyond her years and insight you wish you had too.  I very much enjoyed our trips to the art gallery and our girly catch ups!

The Pas Crew

Emily- I’m writing this the day after the night at the GB where you made me cry. Your insane, your happiness is infectious, your positivity is inspiring, your fiercely private but the little things about your life that I felt you told me as your confidence in our friendship grew made me feel truly honoured. You’re a brilliant person, someone who made me feel so happy during my time in Melbourne- the things you said to me that night, I don’t think anyone has said before and it was the nicest thing to do in the world. Your intentions are so sweet and you are the kind of paramedic the world needs, I know you will kick ass at it so don’t give up your dream!

Gill- When it comes to you, I don’t even know what to say- in a good way. You have the biggest heart. I don’t think I know many people who match up to you in that way. There are some days I don’t think I would have got through if you and your hugs weren’t there. I love your compassion for your friends and for animals and makes me admire you in so many ways. Who am I going to have conversations purely in cat noises with now?

Arthur- Where do I even begin? You have got to be one of the most caring big hearted people I have ever met in my life. I have lost times the amount of time I have fought about you paying for stuff and lost. You may say that you aren’t emotionally but I don’t believe that for a second. The countless times that I’ve seen you look out for your friends and stories I’ve heard about your family is very admirable. You would do anything for anyone you care about and this is the best quality in the world. Since you started at PAs every shift got 1000X better. I have so many good memories of being in Melbourne and since I’ve known you, you’re almost in every one. Who am I going to geek out about Community with now?!

Sophie- You make me laugh so much. The way you phase things always brings a smile to my face, oh hell! I will miss you a hell of a lot and can’t wait to catch up back in the UK!

Kate- Although I only actually worked with you for a few weeks, I enjoyed every minute of it. The hangover shift from hell after the night at the casino will not be forgotten! The reunion with you me and Soph is already being planned!

Jess- You such a head strong, confident, organised and endearing person. I love it when you say you’ll come for one drink and end up being out with us till 6am! I will catch up with you again my friend in Queensland!

Vanessa- Your smile at work makes me laugh and always brings a smile to mine no matter what I feel like. That shift after Calum’s birthday would not have even been possible if it wasn’t for you! Your always organised and on top of things it really makes everyone elses lifes so much easier! Plus you know how to party! Mexico is going to be sooo good!

Team Back Bar!... Ollie and NG most notably. You two are awesome. You are such characters in your own separate ways and it was a pleasure working yous and catching up at our Sunday sessions.

Tim- My Roommate from Queensland

We were destined to meet to over and over in our travels in Oz and Melbourne was no different! Lots and lots of food even when we didn’t plan to get food, trips to ‘Treats from Home’ and drinking and of course that ridiculous night at the Neighbours Trivia Night, and no I still don’t want to know what I was saying to your that night! haha

Emma- Family Friend

The daughter of one of my mum’s close friends in the UK, Emma is one of the sweetest people I know. We hung out countless times. We went to that ridiculous Hungarian restaurant on the hottest day of the summer and had goulash! Was a pleasure spending time with you and we’ll catch up again for sure!

There are more, too many to mention but these are the most memorable  :)

The Melbourne Chapters: The Plot

Where do I even begin right now.

I feel like I’m breaking up with the world best boyfriend. I feel like I just shot Bambi’s mother. I feel in Sophie’s words like I’m in ‘hell.’

This last year in Melbourne has without a doubt been the best year of my life. Fact.

Back last year I had decided that I was going to leave at the end of May. At the time there were a few reasons which would keep me here till then so it felt a good time to leave. None of these actually ended up happening so in fact I was free to leave at any time, but in my head I was leaving then so I didn’t even rethink it.

When you’re travelling you move around a lot and although your (mostly) having an amazing time you never really feel any attachment to anywhere you go because it’s not home, it’s just some amazing thing you’ve done which will become an awesome memory in a whole heap of memories you have stored away that you can recount to your friends later.

This is not an awesome snippet of life I’ve enjoyed and stored the memories of to recall. This is a whole year of my life. A WHOLE YEAR OF AWESOMENESS.  Now how do I even begin to tell you about that?!

This has not been a fling, this has been the best relationship of my life and I could get married but instead we’re breaking up.

So as heart-wrenchingly awful I feel right now about leaving the city equivalent of the love of my life, I’m trying to look to the future and at least distract myself from this break-up.

To me goodbyes are probably one of the worst things in the world. Saying it never feels real. Even though I’m saying goodbye probably forever, it sounds and feels like a casual, ‘See ya later’ when it’s really a ‘See ya…. never again!’

Yesterday I had to say goodbye to really close friend of mine, which if it wasn’t for him, so much of the best moments would have never of happened and then today I’ve had to say goodbye to three people that mean the world to me. Oh hell. One last major goodbye tomorrow, how I feel right now this one might just actually kill me.

I felt this way leaving a place only once before in my life, on the bus driving to the airport in Prague back in 2010.  I didn’t want to go home so badly that I was probably actually depressed. All I wanted to do was jump off the moving bus and run back. That does not even compare to how I feel at the moment.

I don’t even particularly want to leave, I’m doing it because I think I should. I’m trying to think with my head and not my heart. Hopefully one day I’ll look back and thank myself for that.

There’s just one last thing I need to say, Melbourne I love you with all my heart. There I said it.

The Melbourne Chapters: The Setting

If Melbourne was a guy he would be that tall dark and handsome one, sat in the corner of some trendy run down bar playing the music that everyone should be listening to.  He has a quick witty sense of humour and easily relaxes you like you’ve known him all of your life. He rides a bike and owns a dog. He eats Japanese, and Thai but his favourite is Mexican. He runs and takes yoga classes. He listens to all kind of music, jazz, dance, techno, indie and rock. He’s read all your favourite books and suggests one you’ll love too.

Effortlessly cool and from the very first time you meet him you know you’ve met the love of your life.

Melbourne is majestic. Melbourne is enchanting. Melbourne is exciting. Melbourne is homely. Melbourne is diverse.

You can be sucked in and spat out but you can also be cradled comfortably.

I once heard a man say that it’s the North V the South.

“The north is full of hipster vegetarians who ride bikes and dress like it’s the 80s,” and he’s not far wrong. Unfortunately I didn’t hear his summary of the south.

In the daytime Melbourne bursts with electric excitement. I never got bored wandering around the city. There was always something new to discover. Another alley way to find. A new graffiti painting to admire. A new bizarre street entertainer. A man painting on the path with a mop, a penguin playing the bagpipes, a man dresses as Mario, a man with a keyboard or someone drawing or dancing. Flinders street station towers above the St Patricks cathedral and Federation square. The beautiful south bank along by the river side an ideal place to watch the sun set.

By night, Melbourne was a flurry of excitement. The sparkling twinkle of the city a light from miles away. The towers in the centre and the buildings gradually descending outwards. The bars in cubby holes, down laneways, in freight containers, on roof tops and in basements. All playing the latest sounds and beats. Restaurants spill out onto the streets, serving food from all over the world. You can have it there, take it away, pick it up, sit at a bar, sit on a couch or at a table. You can have a three course meal, or just dessert, or even eat a seven course banquet on an old tram circling the city.

You can see a play, a comedy show, the opera or a film. A live band or a singer or even a DJ. You can spend your night in a crowd dancing the night away or you can stroll down the beach alone.

In Melbourne you can do what you want. You can drive a car, or a bike, a scooter or a skateboard. Take the train, the tram or a bus. You can take a class, join a gym, visit a museum or a gallery.

In Melbourne you are living in one of the most culturally diverse places in the world. If you don’t love it you need to wake up and open your eyes, for you are truly blessed to be living in such an awesome place. 

Not so much writers block...

I think the fact that I haven't written anything in so long is a testimate to how much I value writing.

I don't want to write for the sake of writing, I want to write and for it to mean something to me. If anyone else reads it and appreciates what I've done then that great but I write mainly for myself first and foremost.
How this blog usually works, at least for me, is that I go to a place I live there or just visit and I form my opinions good or bad and I write how a place makes me feel, firstly because I love travelling and secondly because I love writing.

But as you know I haven't really done either for the last year (although of course I recently spent two weeks back in Indonesia that I'm yet to say anything about.)

Melbourne for me, hasn't just been somewhere I've stopped off looked around a bit and formed an opinion about. Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I came here and I was blown away by this place. I remember writing gushing first impression posts about this place, and have written very little since... Well thats what you think. Perhaps a month ago even two I started to write a series of blog posts, that I will publish in time about what this place means to me. I couldnt write in one post everything that I needed to say. With anything that you've fallen in love with there are so many different reasons and elements that make you feel the way you do and it wouldn't do any justice not to share the three things that made me not only want to visit here, but make me not want to leave.

I have travelled so much. I've visited 32 different countries, and yet it is here that i've spent 11 months of my life. It won't do it justice if I didnt finally write about the all the reasons why I stayed here so long.

These blogs with come in time. One I've fininished and one is almost done and the third, and possibly the most personal is one that has only just been begun and won't be really finished until I have left and can look back on my time here.

When I left the UK which now feels like an eternity ago, I never imagined in a million years that would not be getting on the return flight in November 2011 from Bangkok to Heathrow. I didn't imagine not spending christmas back in my hometown with my family and my best friends. I had no idea of the decisions I would make that would completely change my life. As much as I love and miss my family and friends so so much, the decision to not go home was the best decision I could have made for myself. My head was a mess when I left the UK. I wasn't unhappy but I felt so goddamn lost I didn't even know where to begin. Seeing my friends with such clear ideas made me put pressure on myself to work out what I was doing but I just didnt have a clue. I just felt life was passing me by and I was none the wiser even where to start.

So bare with me. Thats's all I'm asking, The mess of a head of mine, is beginning to make sense. Doing something I love so much, travelling, has really given the prespective I wanted to find back home and things are slowly making sense.

Its not that I haven't wanted to write but I just wanted to find the right words to say about a place that means so very much to me.

One of Many Lists

I was having coffee with a friend of mine the other day. We are both eternal optimists. We both have so much we want to do in life. So many places to go, so much to see and so much we want to accomplish.
We spoke about our plans and ideas and of dozens of lists of things we want to do. These lists are infinate and very much contrast each other, but there is a few things that I want to do upmost of all. Here is a few, this is my bucket list:

 Right now at 17:57 on the 17th March 2013 here in my bedroom in South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia...

1. Ride the Trans-Siberian Express
2. Write a book
3. Own my own flat
4. Live in Florence
5. Salsa dance in South America
6. Bake an elaborate cake from scratch
7. Get married in Vegas
8. Visit Satanyanda yoga ashram in Calcutta, India
9. Learn a language
10. Sing karaoke in Japan

It's All in the Corners

Today I finally thought of the way I want my story to end.

The brick wall that I had been banging my head against wondering ‘what would happen to Erin?’ has started to come down and I think I can see through to the other side.

I feel as though I have got all the corner pieces to my puzzle now, a fair few pieces of the border but still a huge great hole in the middle of it. I’m getting there though and I have some clues to what the picture will be in the end but still have a lot missing and a lot of work still to do.

The hardest bits are done though, and now it’s just a case of filling in the frame piece by piece. It’ll be tricky and I’ll find more pieces that don’t fit than pieces that do but when they fit it’ll be another piece of the puzzle done and there will be less and less gaps to fill and it’ll be downhill journey from there.

Just like life really.

Start with your corner pieces, then a boarder, and then it’s just a matter of filling in the picture.

I think I almost have my corners. 

Two Peas in a Pod

We’re pretty similar me and my dad (although I hate to admit it of course, like most children who never want to confess how much like their parents they actually turned out like!)

The pair of us are quite independent so we really have a knack at driving each other up the wall. 

When he came to stay we clashed on the most stupidest things well actually when I say ‘we clashed’ I mean the age old child being embarrassed/annoyed by parent for the most ridiculous things, and in hindsight were probably mostly unjustified.

He just had a knack at irritating my weaknesses, for example my impatient-ness. It’s a flaw I have that I’m well aware of but I just can’t stand having to wait for other people for too long.  I always wanted to go and I always had to wait for him.

My arrogance for thinking I am always right was something else; I know I can’t always be right but I really hate to admit I’m wrong. I’m just too stubborn by far. I guess travelling for so long on my own, I haven’t had anyone to contest my point for view. Or should I say more accurately have their own ideas which differ from my own. With my ton of experience travelling I’ve more or less had to rely solely on myself and make my own decisions, so when someone else comes along with their own ideas I find it a bit hard to allow them their point of view.

We also had some amazing moments though when we were both on the same page.

I can be quite sarcastic some of the time but I would say me and dads optimism is quite evenly matched.

We saw some amazing things and some amazing places. 

The Twelve Apostles

We ventured out along the Great Ocean Road and spent New Year’s sleeping in the car at some coastal lookout point called ‘The Craggs’ after catching a bit of a cheesy Aussie band playing at Port Fairy, a small coastal town, and shared a hot dog and a burger followed by a can of Guinness. Can’t say it was the way I’d ever spent New Year’s before. The night before we’d spent an unforgettable night down the Espy, a worn down raggy old pub down St. Kilda (the beachy suburb of Melbourne), a place I loved, having a few drinks and watching a local samba band followed by a Mexican with a frozen margarita.

Cape Bridgewater

The trip down the GOR was beautiful. We stumbled on a breath taking coastal township named Cape Bridgewater the next day and  hiked up the tallest hill in Victoria to go see a fur-seal colony before heading onwards to the Grampians. We drove the mountains as the sun was setting and headed into a place called Halls Gap, a place which dad could not get the name right. He frequently referred to the place as ‘Hells Gate,’ ’Hells Gap’ or even ‘Halls Gate,’ but never ‘Halls Gap.’  

We spent the first night in a nice hostel called ‘Tim’s Place.’ It was a really well equipped hostel and I wouldn’t have minded staying on there if he’d had space to accommodate us. Unfortunately he didn’t so we moved the next morning to a hostel further down the road where there was a family holidaying and we pretty much joined in with their family for the next couple of days.

That afternoon the plan was to visit the Aboriginal Centre across the road from the hostel. Well that was the plan. I had got tired of dad faffing around once again and taking forever so I walked across the road and shouted to him to meet me in the centre. I guess he must have followed about ten or so minutes later. Long enough for us to end up chasing each other round in circles around this place until dad gave up and when to drinks with the family that were in hysterics after seeing us chasing around in circles after one another the best part of an hour. I gave up looking for him after a while and just went to look round the centre and found dad back at the hostel after he’d had a few beers. I wasn’t impressed to say the least, and definitely was not ready to see the funny side, but tried to just laugh the whole thing off because it was useless to be angry at him. This was precisely why I was annoyed about waiting for him all the time. That whole scenario could have been avoided if he’d just come with me- I know I should have waited but I had had enough of waiting for him.

The Grampians

The next day we planned to get out early and a few members of the family said they’d walk with us up one of the local mountains; they holidayed here for years and knew the place well. So early in morning we all got up and headed up to the mountain before the heat of the sun made it too difficult. The views were spectacular and it was nice to have accomplished something early in the day. When we returned we all had a huge buffet lunch of everything the family had left over they wanted to eat up before they headed off the following day.

That afternoon we had promised Jeff, a middle aged American hippie that was also staying at the hostel a lift to the nearest town, Ararat. He had been painting some stones with new age patterns for a shop not so far away, and as we weren’t doing anything he we said we’d given him a lift in.

Jeff and his 'medicine circle'

Jeff was an original hippie from the 60s. He was one of the real ones that had campaigned against the war in Vietnam and wore tie-dye. His face looked like he had many tales to tell but was refined and mostly kept himself to himself painting his stones in the back garden.  I stopped and spoke to him a couple of times and he shared some of his philosophies about life and theories that he believed to be true. One such theory was the idea of various military groups trying to control the population size of the world. Apparently, according to some theories, military groups were injecting electricity (or something of similar effect) into the earth’s core or the poles which had consequently caused the earthquake in New Zealand. Apparently, according to Jeff, there had been a certain meeting of several big powers in the Christchurch which seemed to back up the theory. For me though, even if such an event did occur, these people have power beyond most people’s wildest dreams and if they are determined to do things like this then there’s very little we can do to stop it. Concerning yourself with the thousands of theories in the world, although interesting and probably many are indeed true, at the end of the day are just more worry than they’re worth. I might as well just enjoy my life and let the people get on with whatever it is they seem like they have the right to do.

The next day we ‘planned’, to leave Halls Gap via an aboriginal rock art site and head onwards to visit Annie the lady I’d volunteered with the previous July looking after kangaroos etc, planned being the operative word. We decided to go to a site that was north of Halls Gap then looped round the mountains to visit a second site that was much bigger and had hundreds of paintings. We found the first alright but by this time it was getting towards the heat of the day. As we tried to drive around the mountains to the main road that would direct us to the second site we ended up on a 4WD track only realising as the road began to get gradually more and more a road of rocks. Being in a hire car we’d be advised never to go on unsealed roads, so I’m pretty sure a road of rocks was definitely out of the question. Ironically as we finally managed to get of the rocky road we spotted a sign saying ‘Rough Road,’… thanks for the heads up!

After the serious detour our tank started looked a bit empty so we figured we’d be best going to get petrol before go to the second art site, and scouted out the nearest town on the map and headed there. By the time we arrived our indicator had been on the red for a good while and we were in desperate need of a petrol station. I spotted an old man getting into his car so ran across and asked him where the nearest station was, to which he replied was the next town along which we were certainly not going to make it to. The guy took pity on us thankfully and told us to follow him to his home and he’d give us a little that he had in his garage. Just as I went to shake his hand to say thank you the man said “You’ll have to pay me for that,” to which I replied of course. I thought he was doing it out of the kindest of his heart but obviously not.

After making it to the next town to fill up, off we went to go find the art site once more, the sun was getting lower in the sky so we really didn’t have long before it would start to set. The wrong turn we took out of the town really didn’t help that either. So third time lucky we finally managed to get to the site with the sun truly setting as we drove us the red dusting track into the mountain site. When we got into the forest the trees created a gloomy twilight and we walked quickly down a small path directing us to the site. After a while though we came to a stop and there were no more signs and no clues to where the art might be. Finally being forced to give up by the darkening sky we headed back then noticed a sign half way along the path we’d came directing to a small path that climbed the mountain to where the art was. We’d come all this way down 4WD tracks and almost ran out of petrol the lack of sunlight didn’t seem so much of an issue any more. We got out our torches and started climbing up the track and finally made it. In the almost pitch black of the night we took some photos and decided to head back through the forest to the car. Being so late we decided just to drive back to Halls Gap and sneak into the hostel room we’d vacated as I knew the code for the box where the room key was kept.

The next day we left Halls Gap for the second time with no intention of returning, only to discover a hour or so down the road that dad had forgotten his bag in the room. So much for sneaking away with no one knowing we were there. Luckily when we got back no one was around so we grabbed the bag and headed off once more. We finally arrived at Annie’s in the late evening.

It was great to see her and how all the babies I’d helped care for all grown up. Yindi the little pink joey was now hopping around quite happily outside in the enclosure with the other baby roos. The three wombats I’d played with in the living room were now outside in their very own enclosure, unfortunately minus Teangi, who had passed away. Baby girl- Pan was getting so big now and Yogi was as big as ever. Annie herself was doing well too and it felt like being back home.

It was getting late so we said our goodbyes and headed back to Melbourne.

After a good night’s sleep we decided with one last day before I had to return to work that we’d head out to Phillip Island, just south of Melbourne where there is a penguin colony. Every night around sunset these little penguins would come in from the sea after a day’s fishing and feed their young. It wasn’t as phenomenal as I was expecting (herds of penguins all coming in at once) but it was still pretty special to see all these little creatures coming in from the sea. These memories however are only captured in my mind as cameras were strictly not allowed as to not discourage the penguins from nesting in the area.

Having to return to work after two weeks off was hard but I still had a couple of days off during the next week. The two of us headed to a place called Healsville one day where they have an animal sanctuary looking after injured and orphaned wildlife. And this is where I got to see my very first Koala. Very cute and very sleepy. We also stopped in on one of the wineries in the town and had an early dinner. Mine and dads bad luck seemed to continue as we managed to miss the last bus from the town to the nearest train station, after a pit stop at a pub for half an hour, and had to get a $50 taxi back! Ouch. Very expensive drink indeed!

The following day we got ground passes for the Australian open. Without a doubt it was one of the best days of my life. It was so much fun. The last match of the day was so close and everyone in the crowd got so into the game. In the end when the player the whole crowd had been supporting, Monfils, everyone practically leap out of their seats applauding.

It was really nice to see my pops, as it had been well over a year. But after that much time one on one with a parent it was sure nice to have my space back too.

He left me a note with my keys saying that he’d had an amazing holiday and it was lovely to spend time with me and as for the odd grumps, well we’ll just blame that on us both being free spirits. He told me to go my own way at my own time.

That’s definitely sums us both up. No one can ever tell us what to do, it just doesn’t work. We’re just two peas from the same pod.