On Being Back In Melbourne
Record I'm Listening To: Strange Times - The Chameleons
Beer I'm Enjoying: 4 Pines Pale Ale
The COVID locked down Melbourne I flew out of on my twenty-ninth birthday in July, 2021 looked very different to the one we flew into in February 2024. But aside from taking about forty-eight hours to familiarise myself with driving on the left side of the road again, it was as if I'd I never left. It's surreal to think that less than six months ago my wife, son and I were still living in North Carolina in the US. But what's stranger, is how fast I've fallen back into the routine of being a Melbournian. It helps enormously that we're renting from family in a suburb I know like the back of my hand, and that my mum and a car were waiting for us upon arrival. But there was a lot, I now realise, that I'd taken for granted while being away.
For one thing, we're a stones throw from the main road in Ivanhoe, a five or six minute walk, which seems to have more coffee shops than Durham or Chapel Hill combined. I don't consider myself a coffee snob, but that first sip of a Melbourne barista-made coffee when we first arrived reminded me why this city is so famous for it. I've fallen into the trap of doing what I vowed I would never do, and that's purchase one every day at work.
I've always liked my craft beer though, and am starting to miss a few favourites from NC. Although, I found US craft beers very IPA heavy and really struggled to find pale ales I enjoyed. So while the variety over here might not be on the same scale as what I was spoiled with over there, I am enjoying the familiarity of some timeless classics. The great irony is that many Australian pale ales are marketed as American-style pale ales, which I now know, don't taste alike at all.
I'm a sucker for nostalgia. Everywhere I've ever lived in Melbourne has always been close to the Yarra river and its many trails. Having only got my drivers license at twenty-four, these trails were my highways and thoroughfares as I cycled around. Not to mention the hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometres I've run on them over the years. Apart from spending time with people, being back on the Main Yarra Trail and the many other trails that link up to it, is the best part about being back. It's like getting in and out of a time machine every time I set foot on them.
Then there are other touches of Australianism or Melbournianism that are very refreshing to be back amongst. Australia's laid back culture and slower pace of living being the most obvious example. Melbourne is really vibey, there's a lot going on all the time and the traffic is as bad as it ever was, yet nothing feels rushed, stressed or angsty. Footy is another great example. The city is obsessed with it. And even for someone who doesn't follow the sport closely, it's infectious to be around. Then there's the fact that everything is on our doorstep. We can be in the CBD in twenty minutes on the train and after barely an hour of driving, we could be on the Mornington Peninsula, Dandenong Ranges National Park, or the Yarra Valley.
Growing up I used to think Melbourne was huge. I think the biggest revelation I've had since being back is that it really isn't. I just never went anywhere because there was no need to. Melbourne seemed big, because my world was small. Everything I needed was right there in the suburb I was living in. Before leaving the US I was commuting nearly 50km from Apex to Durham to get to work. Melbournians only travel that far if they're going away for a long weekend. It's no wonder it's always felt strange and foreign for me to cross to the 'other side of the river'.