So I am back from the Philippines, and reacquainting myself with Melbourne town, which puts an end to my writing in, and blogging from, exotic locations - for now. I had a fantastic time in a great country, where the people are so friendly, and there is so much to see and to soak up and to do. I have no doubt that I will return to Manila, and when I do I might stray further afield, perhaps going to Borocay or Cebu; or to another beautiful place my good friend mentioned while I was away, the name of which temporarily escapes me.
Travel certainly does broaden the mind, but it also provides respite for the soul, which is otherwise consigned to trudging through each day with precious little that is new or novel to see, or to experience. Working in an office is nothing if not predictable, even if getting out and seeing clients provides some meagre relief from a sedentary life spent in front of a computer.
In relation to such matters, I am thinking of spending some hard-earned money on a fitness tracker, in the faint hope that it might inspire me to be more physically active - although really, deep down, I just like the idea of acquiring a new high-tech device. This is the last technological piece in a personal puzzle: a device to measure my bodily movement as I progress through the day. I am thinking of a Nike Fuelband, imported from the US.
This device will join the collection of other machines that have insinuated themselves into my lifestyle, including my two iPads, my iPhone, and a personal favourite, my Sky WiFi ‘smart’ pen by Livescribe. Oh, and my three digital cameras. And my Motorola Xoom (what was I thinking?) The only challenge then is, what to do with all this technology? I feel all kitted out, and yet a little lacking in purpose. To address this deficit, and to test my writing and learning skills in new and exciting ways, I am contemplating a course of post-graduate study. Options on the table at the moment are psychology somewhere, interior design at RMIT University or Monash, or a Masters of Environment at the University of Melbourne.
This last idea is plagiarised directly from a friend who just started in the program, and is loving it. She planted the seed in my mind only yesterday; I had never heard of the course, and indeed it is relatively new. Unlike psychology, the Masters of Environment would build directly on my professional experience and undergraduate training, which is of course in architecture and urban design. And again unlike psychology, it wouldn’t take me 7 years to complete the course of study, after which I would be professionally starting from scratch.
My trip away gave me that most valuable of gifts, one that can only be found a certain distance from everything you call home: perspective. I am back, and I know from how I felt while I was away, that something has to change. As the man said, something’s gotta give. It’s time for a new direction.