Back in Melbers. I'm beginning to wonder whether I'll ever leave this part of the world...

Flew in with Mum and Dad and ended up ensconced in South Yarra's most stylish hotel, The Como - well fully justified as our last bit of shared luxury I think! We had a fab weekend as I showed Mum and Dad the delights of Melbourne - Chapel Street, the Botanical Gardens, the riverside, Fed Square etc etc - and caught up with friends aplenty. It was particularly good to meet old friends of Mum and Dad's, Jen and John, going to their amazing apartment in West Melbourne (well, they're also both architects, so you can imagine) for a delicious meal during which everyone got rather merry and I think I was the most sober person there. Also caught up with old LEH-er (and now Cirque du Soleil star) Lucy Pascoe, for a late lunch at the VERY nice Botanical restaurant, where once again the wine flowed and we had a bloody nice time! I also managed to catch up with Susy and Doc from Mendoza days whilst they were on a flying visit to Melbourne, and Raff who I'd met in Sydney a month before. We spent Mum and Dad's last night down in St Kilda at the very crazy St Kilda Festival, eventually finding our way to the quieter part of Fitzroy St and meeting up with Will - it was so nice for Mum and Dad to meet him finally! Likewise the next morning, just before we went to the airport, we managed to fit in coffee with Steb and Wendy, so now Mum and Dad really do know who puts up with my over-extended stays in Melbers!

Bade a sad farewell to M+D, although it did feel a little bit like getting back to normal. I've become used to them not being around, and we had a great month - really special - but now it's like getting on with life again! (Meant in the best possible way Mum and Dad!) So it was back into normal Melbers life for me, sorting out a couple of things for Africa, wandering around South Yarra and the City, and thinking about what it would be like to live here. Will had his birthday whilst I've been here, which meant me crashing another family event at Catherine's house, followed by a very alcoholic night out during which I discovered how to get Will to dish lots of secrets. Heeheehee.

On my last day, Will took me and another friend of his Sarah up flying over Melbourne, which was SO exciting. It was amazing to see Melbourne from not very high up, a good way to do all the sightseeing I hadn't got round to, and of course very impressive to see Will at the controls - 0-gravity dives and 2G turns notwithstanding!

Then all of a sudden I was leaving Melbourne again, this time flying back to Sydney. It took every ounce of self-control not to become a bawling wreck on the plane, but I keep telling myself - I'll be back. I have too many reasons not to - cousins moving out here, friends to visit and - maybe, just maybe - a job to pursue...