The lights go out and people scream. Bodies shuffle and bump together in the darkness, waiting for what will happen next. Lights suddenly blaze and the screams get louder. Shadowy figures walk out on to the lighted platform in front of us. No, I'm not in some sort of cult torture dungeon, I'm at a Presets concert in Freemont, an artsy suburb of Perth. Music starts and everyone jumps up and down, waving their hands in the air. Almost immediately I smell the pungent odor of boy-armpit. As an aside to my story, I think that nightclubs should add 'deodorant applying' to the list of things you have to do when entering. ID, check. Stamp, check. Deodorant...nope? *spray spray spray* Check. Anyway, I move away from the smelly area, over to where my friends are dancing. I close my eyes and let my arms go limp, my body relaxed. I don't so much hear the music as feel it, and my body starts to move accordingly. I'm 99.9% sure of two things while this is happening: 1) I look totally insane, or possibly that I'm having a stroke 2) I don't care. My apologies to anyone I slap/elbow/step on/bump into. It's done out of love, I assure you.
So that was last night. A few hours (not nearly long enough) later, we walk out of the club sweaty smiling messes. I feel exhilarated. Lately I've been having strange, intoxicated moments on the dance floor where I feel like I'm experiencing time as a fluid, that I am feeling emotions and sensations from past, present and future. I am totally aware that I sound like an acid-tripping free-love child of the universe type right now, and maybe that's where I'm heading (minus the acid, that's a drug I'm happy to leave alone). The point is, I feel very connected to myself, who I am as a person and who I am within the universe, with all of it's mysteries and delights, and it's a truly wonderful thing.
Ok, enough with the semi-spiritual ramblings (just out of curiosity, does anyone have the faintest idea what I'm trying to say in the previous paragraph or am I just driveling on?). Perth is proving to be a very welcoming second home. It's ridiculously spread out, I have no idea how long it would take to get from one end to the other but I will take a guess at an hour and a half, maybe two. But the coast is beautiful and the sunsets are breathtaking.
Aside from the landscape, the people I've met are simply amazing. After my blog post last week, a lovely crazy girl named Joanna just up and gave me her old car (which I will be picking up today! I did a practice-drive to the shops yesterday and it went pretty well. I'm no longer convinced I will die behind the wheel.) Two weeks ago I knew six people here, now I know at least triple that. And I don't mean 'know' as in I met them once and have trouble remembering names. Know as in I actually really enjoy them, greatly appreciate their kindness, hospitality and openness to this limb-flailing Canadian, and can't wait to have more adventures together. As I said, amazing.
I do still think of home, and while I can't imagine leaving Australia right now, I see photos of snowy mountains or friends being silly together and a tiny part of me wishes I was there. But there is time for all that. For now I'm going to take my book, my sandwich, my towel and have a solo picnic under a nice leafy tree outside. Life is very good.
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