Perth

And so after a week of R and R in Perth I am left feeling relaxed and marginally more healed, although it's still a slow process. My great friends, who are due with twins any week now, in no small way played a huge part in my enjoyment of such a lovely city. The smorgasbord of simple and rather unhealthy foods we prepared most nights, along with a large intake of very good quality beers (not for the child carrier of course) was a nod to the change that their life was about to take, and the change mine was well on the way of undertaking.

It has not yet brought me any closer to what I may or may not do in the immediate future, such is life. I have some leads to follow up on and doors will open, some may close, some I have a foot in. Time will tell. A fortune cookie told me "experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want", how apt.

It was refreshing to be out and about again, enjoying the sunny days. Walking Jet and Ruby, two gorgeous American Staffordshire Terriers was a daily appointment and has brought me to appreciate dogs a little more. Whether it was the bush, park (with a dozen other, similarly energized pooches) or beach park, there were always laughs to be had and smaller dogs to be terrorized.

I finally learned how to make one of my favorite meals, pasta, and amazed at the simplicity of it. I rode a Vespa. I went for a run. Visited Little Creatures brewery. Drank a double chocolate stout and discovered many other fine drops. I compared dog breeds. I met some "friends of friends" who I could now call just friends. I saw a city for the first time. I drove a Golf GTI MKV.

Most importantly, I am richer for it all.