I am finding myself much more observant and reflective than I am normally aware of. What I am noting are the small things, the everyday and also the seemingly ubiquitous which mean very little to non-Australians. For example, an article the Sydney mainstream press about a rugby league commentator caught my eye with some resonating content. The source of this resonance is very much located in my leaving Australia in a month, unsure when (or if) I will return.

The article is about the life/career of Ray Warren. I am not a sporty person, though the ubiquitousness of the footy in eastern Australia fostered a clear awareness of who is and how he sounds. Reading the article also brought on some reminiscences from you childhood, with the football seemingly always on in the background.

The piece refers to the banter between Ray Warren and other commentators like Peter Sterling, who was a notional representative player. I found my reactions to the discussion interesting — partly because of my limited interest in the footy. I also thought about in terms of (an almost bastardised?) cultural capital. Anyone not from eastern Australia would haver no idea who these people are, nor have apparently fond childhood memories implanted in the brain. There would be no meaning there.

I envision that I will have many similar experiences over the coming weeks as I count down to days to departure. I am already increasingly and fondly noticing individual trees, other plants and small landforms on my regular paths…