Place and people

Hobart people make me feel at home. There's an instant, almost familial, relationship between us all. I think it's got to do with the way the city is bordered by the mountain and river. The landscape makes us look inward, turning to each other for community. Living in view of the mountain and river also means that nature is part of all our lives. We see the snow on the mountain and feel the chill of the winter air, and in summer we go camping in the national parks and swim at the beach. This makes Hobart people grounded, down-to-earth sort of folk.

In Sydney I love the opposite of these. Sydney is full of strangers sure enough, but it's a wonderfully heady mix of strangers from many lands. And living in a city encourages people to look outward with minds open to the reaches of industry and creativity.