They say there's no place like home...well as much as I love my family, my friends and British Columbia, I have found somewhere that feels like home as well: Melbourne.
The past couple of months (holy, time flies!) have been really fantastic. As soon as we returned from Bali, I started working at Melbourne's Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Yes, that's right - the Ride is here! It's the first year in Melbourne and second year in Australia and it's having a great response. I was working as a
Ride Guide "recruiting" riders and aiding registered riders with their fundraising and training. I say "recruiting" because what the job really entails is telephone sales to interested people. Anyone who knows me, knows that this would just not fly in the long run....eight hours a day on the phone. Where is the challenge? Where is the creativity? As much as I enjoyed speaking with riders (being a past rider myself!), my motivation decreased with the ongoing pressure of meeting quotas. Ohh, the ongoing debate of quality vs. quantity.
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| Melbourne's Ride Guides! Niamh, Tracy and myself. |
I explored further opportunities within the company including a Volunteer Coordinator but sadly, the nasty politics of the (virtual) office took over. I know what makes me happy and this was not it.
The people I worked with directly in the Melbourne office are all amazing. Niamh (pronounced Neve), Tracy and Nathan (my manager) - much love! I have much respect for the Ride and what it stands for. The fundraising model they have created is brilliant and I really did learn a lot about how an event of this magnitude is put together. Also, now I get to ride in October (
see my personal page here)! One more bonus: the friendships cultivated.
I said that Melbourne has felt like home and a big reason for that is the people I have met. It seems that the friendship network keeps growing. It started with Dev and Christian and meeting their friends, then meeting the friends of their friends, and so on. Everyone is so open, friendly, and welcoming. In fact, Dev's friend, Pants, was moving here from the UK so being two people new to the city and needing somewhere to live, we decided to find a flat together. We are living in a highrise just outside of the City Centre (ten-minute walk) in the Southbank suburb. It's very convenient to all the necessities and my favourite stop(s) of the week - the market.
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| View from our flat. Melbourne sunsets make each evening wonderful! |
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| My first cricket experience at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) - probably my last too! It's no hockey! |
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| A night out in Melbourne. Myself, Damian, Pants and Jason crossing the Yarra River. |
So while I look for the next opportunity, I am also exploring Melbourne, hanging with friends, and mind-mapping some aspirations (and working to make those happen). I have made some awesome connections and great friends in the past three months and life in Melbourne continues to be exciting. I know there are great things to come - the crow in India was absolutely right :)
Melbourne: My home away from home.
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| Tracy taking me on my first mountain bike lesson. Now I get why Sheila and Stacey have 3+ bikes! Bikes are so fun. |
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| My first spill. Brush yourself off and try again! I had a blast and can't wait to get back on the mountain! |
