Today I said goodbye to a friend I met in my very first university tutorial four years ago. He's moving to England. For good. Don't get me wrong, he's not my long lost love, he is not my bestest friend in the whole wide world ever, he's a friend. A good friend. One of the few friends I made at uni with whom I would like to stay in touch. One of those people with whom you always have a quality conversation; none of this discussing the weather or how uni's going or other superficial stuff - those meaty conversations that make you think, question yourself and leave you feeling like you've really had a conversation. The conversations and time spent with him have never been wasted; I always walk away feeling slightly more intelligent than when I arrived. I will miss him, but I know that I will see him again. In a few years or so, but we will be able to pick up where we left off.
I also recently said goodbye to university. I submitted my final assignment on Monday the 27th of October, 2014. I then had to rush off to photograph (with my husband - really I was just assisting) the wedding of friends of ours over in WA. The wedding was beautiful, completely them and it looked exactly like everything M had dreamed about with me over the preceding months; I was delighted for them. We then spent two nights meandering around the Margaret River region (I had never been), which was simply delightful. There may have been a couple of baths. When we returned I found I had been recommended for a job by my English tutor, which was very gratifying, so I set to applying for the position. I submitted that application on Monday. Since then I have finally settled down to doing what needs to be done for the next two and a bit months: nothing.
As I write this I am starting my second glass of wine. Before dinner! My grandmother would be horrified. I am halfway through my third novel and, as I wrote in a text message to my cousin earlier today, I am feeling pretty damn good. I'm in that happy limbo where I have no obligations and am earning just enough money to pay all the bills so that I don't need to pick up any extra work over the holidays, which affords me the precious luxury of spending my days however I please. Life is grand.
It is raining. Right now. And it is warm enough for me to leave the balcony door open. A rare occurrence here in Melbourne town. There is also a pile of dishes on the sink with groceries unpacked on the bench next to them. Things need tidying, dinner probably needs making. So I am going to go back to my novel and my glass of wine and enjoy the rest of the daylight before...
