I flew out to Melbourne to see family over New Year's. I came back wondering if I'd just visited my future.
New Year's Eve at Fed Square was electric. The whole city was packed, counting down together under the fireworks. It was the kind of night that makes a place feel like it could be yours.
Most days were spent exploring with my brother and cousin. We did the 1000 Steps at Kokoda Walk in the Dandenong Ranges I wasn't prepared for it but my legs held up, and the views from the top of Mt Dandenong made every step worth it. We drove out to the Pillars at Mt Martha, this hidden coastal spot with sandstone cliffs and the sea. I climbed down the rocks with my camera in one hand and my soul in the other.
One day we drove the Great Ocean Road out to Erskine Falls near Lorne. Long drive, but the kind of long where you don't mind because the scenery keeps changing. The waterfall was stunning, tucked into rainforest that felt a world away from the coast.
We spent a quieter afternoon at the NGV, wandering through rooms full of paintings. Then Albert Park and the lake, just walking, no rush. Melbourne has this way of mixing the dramatic with the easy-going -- waterfalls and cliff edges one day, a calm lake and gallery the next.
I went for the family. I left with something sitting quietly in the back of my mind.