'Writ Large': a blog about the big stuff

It’s deep summer here in Melbourne, Australia — and, for the first time in many months, I’ve just taken three weeks off work. At this time of year, most Melburnians like to get out of town for a while and head for the beach a couple of hours away, or maybe interstate. Others head to the northern hemisphere to have a white Christmas (and this year, there’s more white than ever to go round!)

As for moi, I’ve had to be content with a holiday at home. For various reasons, it wasn’t practical to travel, so I set myself the task of winding down and switching the brain cells into low gear, without leaving town. And when you work at home, there’s an extra challenge, because you can’t get more than a metre or so away from the office.

I’m pleased to say, however, that taking a holiday at home proved easier than I thought. By the time I finished up before Christmas, I was quite literally bone-tired; every fibre of my being ached at the culmination of a very trying year. Ignoring well-meaning enquiries from friends and associates about whether and where I was travelling for my holidays, I reminded myself that what I needed more than anything was to SLOW DOWN — and if that meant staying put in Melbourne this time around, it was a small price to pay.

I started my break by going across town to visit my grandmother. She’s an amazing lady; still living independently at 95 years of age, and taking an active interest in the lives of family and friends. Then, I hoed into a box set of S_x and the City (SATC) borrowed from my friend Sue, relishing in the chance to revisit the quirky comedy that still rings true on so many levels. (Though I have to say, I will never figure out how Carrie Bradshaw maintained such an expensive lifestyle by writing one newspaper column per week!) Apart from providing plentiful male eye-candy, my SATC-fest fuelled a minor flirtation with the idea of visiting New York, even though that particular whim looks set to remain unfulfilled for the foreseeable future. P’raps I need to find myself a ‘Mr Big’, lol …

I made a point of spending time with good friends and catching up on each others’ lives. In our ridiculously fast-paced life, it’s all-too-easy to text people instead of ringing them, or (heaven forbid!) see them in person. Call me old fashioned, but I still think that face-to-face contact is important in maintaining and strengthening friendships — no matter how many Facebook friends or Twitter followers we may accrue.

I also allowed myself the luxury of spending several afternoons (yes, entire afternoons) dozing on the couch. I even managed to finish a few magazines, though, as I’d suspected, the pile of unread books didn’t get so much as a look-in. For an English lit graduate and professional writer, I make a pretty lousy reader!

Even my daily yoga practice took on an added appeal, as I revelled in the knowledge that I didn’t have to undo all the good work by spending hours at the computer afterwards.

On the eve of my return to work, I can look back at the last three weeks with satisfaction. It may not have been the most exciting holiday anyone ever took, but it certainly did the trick.