Alive

March 6, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another.” Anatole France

Strange.

To be out in the world again.

In Tasmania, there are only hints that a pandemic exists. Hand sanitiser at the entrance to stores. The occasional need to register attendance.

No masks. Anywhere.

In the supermarket, I experience something akin to culture shock. I can see too many faces. People are too close together. Not 1.5 metres apart. I get out as quickly as I can.

In Salamanca, a cute little café is overflowing with humanity. My desire for coffee only marginally stronger than my need to escape.

To be outside.

To feel the breeze.

To sit on a park bench and look across the Hobart waterfront, to appreciate that I’m travelling again.

I’m so tired.

It’s hard to resume ‘normal’ life after a year of lockdown. I mean, what even is ‘normal’ anymore?

I didn’t cry much in 2020. Things happened too quickly. And I think I was numb from the over-saturation of news. Waiting for Dan to tell us the numbers. Wondering when it would be safe to see my mum again. Family. Friends.

I hear a gull screech, and for some reason that brings tears. I want to scream with that gull. So loudly. I want to understand the year we just had.

What did we learn?

Patience. Appreciation.

To not take things for granted.

I want other people to understand what it was like to be in Melbourne. But I know they never will.

And so, we carry on …

I’ve always been a planner, a schemer, of adventure and travel, but now, plans have to be fluid.

You need a plan A, B, C and D (for dumb-ass) – Supernatural references always on my brain.

Guess it’s time to embrace impulsivity …

The rain begins to ease. The sun is warm. I wish I could capture this moment.

I’m starting to feel alive, again.

What is GISH?

August 9, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

“I think that kindness and generosity are infectious qualities, that when you carry them out, you often inspire others to do the same, and that one small act can actually have an exponential effect.” Misha Collins

Item 124 - Rock Messages

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I was standing on a viewing platform getting ready to pour red wine into the mouths of a couple of friends, who were both wearing white and standing two stories below me. A crowd had gathered, as we were in a public park in Steveston, Vancouver. The onlookers were equally amused and confused. When they asked what we were doing, we tried to explain. “It’s GISHWHES … a scavenger hunt”.

They didn’t understand!

2020 Melbourne

July 14, 2020.Reading time 19 minutes.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.” ~ Paulo Coelho

This is Flinders Street Station in Melbourne, Australia, at 11.30 am on Friday 10 July 2020. The city has just gone into its second lockdown, due to COVID-19. There’s barely anyone in sight and it feels like I’m living in an alternate reality. At some point, earlier this year, we woke up to changed world. And it became evident, very quickly, that things would never go back to ‘normal’, at least not the ‘normal’ we’d experienced in 2019.

A decade of journeys

December 31, 2019.Reading time 9 minutes.

“The beauty you see in me is a reflection of you.” Rumi

Mt Edith Cavell

I always enjoy New Year’s Eve. Not for fireworks or parties – because I often enjoy solitude on this day – but because it’s really the only time of year that I reflect on the previous 12 months. And today, at the end of another decade, I’ve been thinking about the last 10 years and how amazing they’ve been for me*. Perhaps it’s because I’m older, but I think I’ve reached the point in my life where I’m accepting of who I am (with all my flaws and quirks). I’m no longer scared about what people think of me (or of being judged). In short, I’m comfortable in my own skin. It might have taken me half a lifetime to get there, but I feel content and happy.

Meander Melbourne

September 22, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

“Karen knew all the interesting and pretty spots to see, including a great market, the laneways, a fantastic graffiti alleyway, some great outdoor sights, and some of the city’s official monuments. She was knowledgeable and good to talk with, and I felt like I’d really gotten to know a lot about Melbourne in one day! She was also very flexible in her tour so we could see the things that interested me most. I’m very glad I took her tour and am so happy to got to see so much of Melbourne.” Lauren, September 2018

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A few months ago, in my last blog post, I mentioned that I was trying out some new things after my long-term editing contract finished. I also wanted to find something that would get me outside, exercising, and doing the things I love – walking, exploring, taking photographs! The answer came to me in the form of Airbnb Experiences. I’d already been an Airbnb host for a number of years, renting out the spare bedroom in my apartment, so it seemed natural for me to give Airbnb Experiences a go. One month into my ‘Meander Melbourne’ walking tours and I’m so happy. There is nothing better than sharing a place you love with fellow-travellers…

kgrahamjourneys~photos

June 29, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.” Ansel Adam

Canoeing at Katherine Gorge

Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about my photography… and wanting to get back into creating beautiful images of the places I travel to… I guess because I’ve spent the last seven years focusing on reading and writing words (as editor of the Victorian RSL’s membership magazine) and now I just feel like a change.

So, the first step I’ve taken is to create a little photography blog on the side – www.kgrahamjourneysphotos.wordpress.com. I’m currently posting on that site a lot more frequently than I am here… because that is where my heart is… for now!

The great snake wrangling adventure

June 19, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

““But don’t worry,” she continued. “Most snakes don’t want to hurt you. If you’re out in the bush and a snake comes along, just stop dead and let it slide over your shoes.” This, I decided, was the least-likely-to-be-followed advice I have ever been given.”
Bill Bryson, In a Sunburned Country

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Late last year I was commissioned by Australian Geographic to write an article about the Great East Rail Trail Ride. It was my fourth visit to this stunning rail trail and the second time I’d participated on the Great East Rail Trail Ride (see my previous blog: East Gippsland Rail Trail Ride). But, somehow, this time felt different; I guess because I was writing my first article for Australian Geographic. It was super exciting!

And the ride went really well – beautiful scenery, perfect weather for cycling and no major mishaps – until day three. Then we were cycling through denser sections of forest and there was a lot more debris on the track. I was cautious on the downhill sections and looked out for obstacles on the trail. After riding about 20 kilometres, I was about to cycle over a small branch when I saw the branch move.

It WAS NOT a branch. It WAS a brown snake!

Make life be your art

January 12, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

“This is for us who sing, write, dance, act, study, run and love
and this is for doing it even if no one will ever know
because the beauty is in the act of doing it.
Not in what it can lead to.” Charlotte Eriksson

Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain

Recently, I read this gorgeous poem by Charlotte Eriksson… and it really struck a chord. Writing and photography have always been my passions (along with travelling). I can lose myself in those worlds… I’ll be writing or working on photos, and time evaporates… I forget to eat… but it dosen’t matter… for in that moment, my soul is satisfied.

Random Acts to IMAlive Journey: Inside the Life of an IMAlive Volunteer

January 8, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Maya Angelou

2017 was an interesting year for me: I juggled a variety of temp jobs, along with writing, editing and photography gigs; I enjoyed lots of beautiful gatherings with my family and friends; I managed to travel a little bit; and, most importantly, I began a long-term volunteering commitment with IMAlive, an online crisis network. Looking back, there are plenty of wonderful memories and it was a really rewarding year on a personal level.

I did, however, miss spending time working on my blog, something I hope to remedy this year. Click on the “view original post” link below to read about my volunteer journey with IMAlive; something that came about because of my obsession with a little television show called Supernatural – and because I was inspired by the charitable work of its stars Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins and Jensen Ackles.

Portraits

July 6, 2017.Reading time 10 minutes.

“It may be true that portrait photography cannot really describe a subject’s personality in any significant way. Snapshots work only because the viewer is a friend or family member and is thus being reminded, not informed. What portraits can do however is evoke humanity, they can allow a contact, a recognition of human experience.” Greg Neville

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I remember examining the question “what is portraiture” at college back in the early 1990s and I came to the conclusion that this was entirely up to the person creating the artwork. And I think my early photographs were just as much self-portraits, as they were portraits of my friends and families. Whatever the result, the experience of creating these portraits holds a lot of meaning and joy for me.