I see from the internet that spring, or at least a foretaste thereof, has arrived in New York, which was good news, considering that I'll be there in little more than a week's time, but for me, today was all about saying goodbye to summer.
And what a day for it, too, with blazing sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, and temperatures in the upper 20s/mid 80s. I made my way out to the beach for one last time, and everything about it was stupendous, from the colour to water to the size and power of the waves, something you don't normally see in this sheltered and secluded corner of Botany Bay. I suspect it might have something to do with this giant eddy, aka "The Cyclone of the Deep," that's suddenly appeared just off the coast, and which is also making the water a bit chillier, all the way down to 21C/70F, whereas at this time last year it was more like 24C/75F. Which means you can only swim and splash around in it for an hour or two instead of all day, but I wasn't staying in too long anyway, as it occurred to me that it would be most inconvenient to be the victim of a savage shark attack the day before I'm meant to leave Sydney. I think the airlines have policies about passengers with great gouges leaking blood all over the place.
Not that there were any sharks to be seen, although a big glop of seaweed swirling around just beneath the surface had me worried for a bit. This time tomorrow I'll be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean rather than in it (well, hopefully, anyway), and not too much after that, touching down for a brief visit in California before moving on to my new East Coast home. Am I nervous about all these changes? You bet. Not that I haven't moved around before; in fact I've barely stopped. But this seems more serious, because this time I'm meaning to stay.
Maybe I'll change my tune after a few months, or when the New York winter starts to kick in and I'll be wondering what I'm doing slogging through the ice and snow when I could be lying on a sunlit Sydney beach. But I don't think so. This feels like the real thing, and as those of you who've attempted to do real things will know, that can be scary. Or so I've been told.
So it's goodbye to Sydney, goodbye to summer, it's really been grand, and even if I have little more than a suntan and lots of memories to show for it, that's plenty for now. And in a few days it will be hello to Brooklyn and, I expect, a very different sort of adventures. Less sharks, sting rays and sunburn, more... well, I don't want to jinx anything, so I think I'll just wait and see. In the meantime, let me say one last time, so long, Sydney, despite all my griping, you've really been fabulous.
And what a day for it, too, with blazing sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, and temperatures in the upper 20s/mid 80s. I made my way out to the beach for one last time, and everything about it was stupendous, from the colour to water to the size and power of the waves, something you don't normally see in this sheltered and secluded corner of Botany Bay. I suspect it might have something to do with this giant eddy, aka "The Cyclone of the Deep," that's suddenly appeared just off the coast, and which is also making the water a bit chillier, all the way down to 21C/70F, whereas at this time last year it was more like 24C/75F. Which means you can only swim and splash around in it for an hour or two instead of all day, but I wasn't staying in too long anyway, as it occurred to me that it would be most inconvenient to be the victim of a savage shark attack the day before I'm meant to leave Sydney. I think the airlines have policies about passengers with great gouges leaking blood all over the place.
Not that there were any sharks to be seen, although a big glop of seaweed swirling around just beneath the surface had me worried for a bit. This time tomorrow I'll be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean rather than in it (well, hopefully, anyway), and not too much after that, touching down for a brief visit in California before moving on to my new East Coast home. Am I nervous about all these changes? You bet. Not that I haven't moved around before; in fact I've barely stopped. But this seems more serious, because this time I'm meaning to stay.
Maybe I'll change my tune after a few months, or when the New York winter starts to kick in and I'll be wondering what I'm doing slogging through the ice and snow when I could be lying on a sunlit Sydney beach. But I don't think so. This feels like the real thing, and as those of you who've attempted to do real things will know, that can be scary. Or so I've been told.
So it's goodbye to Sydney, goodbye to summer, it's really been grand, and even if I have little more than a suntan and lots of memories to show for it, that's plenty for now. And in a few days it will be hello to Brooklyn and, I expect, a very different sort of adventures. Less sharks, sting rays and sunburn, more... well, I don't want to jinx anything, so I think I'll just wait and see. In the meantime, let me say one last time, so long, Sydney, despite all my griping, you've really been fabulous.
2 comments:
...Yeah, about that Spring weather in NY....
It went from 50 degrees to 20 degrees overnight and has been snowing/sleeting all day.
Welcome back!
hey larry, i just read your newest article in punk planet and I really enjoyed it. I'm also a recovering addict and it was something i connected with. thanks alot.
-tara
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