Froth froth city, bitch.
What a day, what a day.
I woke at 4:30 in the AM, restless and confusedly worried about nothing. It was still dark, the early morning haze flooding through street lights outside my window. I got up around 5 after pacing to and fro in my head. I slid my body into a pair of swimmers and draped a towel over my shoulder, got on my bicycle and rode down across the train line, down past the foreshore around the esplanade to Newcastle Ocean Baths. It was just me and a couple of old dudes in their speedos and swimming caps and we smiled at each other in silence as we waded in the water. The sky had lit up, though the overcast weather darkened it all the same. Just that will power to get up, get out and get in the water at such an early hour had me satisfied - I did not care how the rest of the day would go because that moment was so perfect. It was a silent blessing.
I fanged it back inland and stopped in at Suspension coffee around 6:30 am, again it was just me and some old dudes. We talked about dogs. The day got another tick from me. After a more-than-welcome cup of coffee, I continued on to the Newcastle Farmers Markets where I met a friend from my hometown and we bought the freshest pineapples and the sweetest strawberries and chatted to friends and strangers and listened to the grinding of coffee beans and the crunch of pebbles beneath feet. After riding home again, Aimee and I chucked our towels and some fresh fruit in with a surfboard, tuned in to some Triple J and drove down to Moonee where we met with some Californians who were keen to hit the waves. They were absolute frothers and such good energy to bounce off. I lay in the sun in the sand, munching on pineapple chunks and reading a book I had forgotten about this last semester whilst being pummelled with readings from my law lecturers. It was good to completely remove myself from the city, from my stresses and worries, and surround myself with a good bunch of people and good views.
We stopped in at Murray's Beach for a bite to eat and then headed on home where I fell asleep with a roasted bum from the sun listening to the rain and the storm and soaking up the goodness of a blackout where it was just me and a quiet hum of the good day in my mind.
Living smack bang in the middle of Newcastle is an absolute good time, but also enjoying the freedom of stepping out and removing yourself from whatever creature comforts that come with it is absolutely the most important thing for me, especially being an outsider to Newcastle. I'm looking forward to what this summer is going to give me, and who I'm going to meet. And if you're reading this and we've never met before, I'd really love to. I have an instagram account - it's @strewthie and I often post pictures of my housemate's cat doing embarrassing things. But mostly it's a collection of what I absolutely love about Newcastle and how it always manages to pick me up when I feel like I've fallen down. It is a blessing living in this little city. Opportunity and new adventure is everywhere. But you need to let it take you there.
