Brisneyland

I've been back in Australia for a week now, and for the last few days I've been in Brisbane. It's deep winter here, which means bright, sunny days fit for walking around in a t-shirt and shorts. It feels a bit weird, but not because places and areas have shifted and changed, but because my memory seems to have gaps in it. I think I know this city, but when it comes down to details, I don't. I'm completely confident I can find a place in say, Paddington, but when I try and describe it to someone, I can't. I don't remember where some fairly major roads connect to, or their names, or how to get to them. This would be fine if I knew I didn't know it and could just shut the hell up, but it's a bit of a problem when I'm helping someone navigate to a laundromat and we end up in a rubbish dump.

Downshifting from go-go-go travel mode has left me feeling a little empty, but all good things must come to an end, particularly when credit cards are involved. Wandering around Japanese castles and hooning over Thai islands on scooters isn't very profitable, and I'm pretty much at the end of my holiday funds. Getting a nice job and finding a place to unpack all my crap and make a little fort out of the couch pillows sounds just dandy to me, as long as I have decent internet. That particular point has been surprisingly hard to come by since I've been back, as my dad is on dialup and George doesn't seem to have a net connection at all, but I won't harp on it too much, in case they throw me out on the street or set fire to my gear.

Even though I'm all ready and keen to settle down and rejoin the rat race, I'm about to start a six week housesit in Brisbane, which I'm referring to as The Steve Austin Tour. With weekly physio for my back, a bit of gym, some healthy eating and some judicious application of technology, I might just end up stronger, faster, and better than the moderately sorry state I'm in right now. I might even have a job lined up in Sydney, although it might only be for a western suburbs rat-catching agency.