Coffee, Cafe, iPhone, Blog.

Sitting at a cafe in the town that has mothered me for many years. My iPod playing the sweet sounds of The Avalanches in my ears, cutting through the daily bustle of this quiet mall. Being the middle of winter I'm definitely feeling the chill of the breeze that funnels through the mall. Those who seek the sun are in the same position, bracing as the icy wind rips through the fabric of what you would normally presume to be warm clothing. Suddenly my concentration is broken as the scream of a wounded soldier breaks the peace I once had with my music. His cries soon cease as the waiter brings him his kids milkshake and half a serve of scones. Teary eyes now dry I sink back into my chair, after repositioning to catch the optimum amount of rays from the glowing sun.
I am going to miss this place. The comfortable groove I have made for myself here. The love of my friends and having them so close. The cold winter nights where you dread heading out because you know if you rug up you will get to hot when busting a move on the dancefloor, and if you don't wear enough your going to get the winter flu while walking home because you've missed the newie bus and don't have enough money for a taxi because you couldn't resist buying just one more, extremely over priced, smirnof black.
What I am definitely NOT going to miss is the lack of opportunity this place has to offer a young budding graphic designer. Yes I have picked up freelance work here and there and have had graphic design work at the university but there have been no decent job opportunities to feed my need for success. As much as I love spending my days seated at a cafe drinking coffee and drawing, there just isn't enough inspiration to keep my mind active. The culture of this town is limited and quiet frankly nothing exciting ever really happens. It would be a good place to settle down, but to try and make something of yourself. There just aren't many avenues to take. Maybe in 20 years time, when the population outnumbers the amount of shops and the once bustling mall becomes the meeting point for families and friends rather than the national shopping conglomerate CENTRO, will I be able to come back and live out a life that I will fill all my needs. No doubt by then I will have experienced life and tasted the sweet nectar that seeps through the cracks in the pavement that I choose to walk. Until then I guess I'll just take each day as it comes and take what ever opportunities come my way.

It's easy to get caught in a place and I guess I have only been caught in Armidale for a year, as for the other 6 years it was all time well spent. It's been a good place to grow into the person I am today, a good place to learn the lessons that will get me through the rest of life and a good place to evolve.
So as my blog comes to an end and the once vibrant sun slowly creeps behind the looming clouds, I leave you with this final sentence. One that has no meaning at all.