Captains of Crush

The Part About Life aka The Vortex.

I was warned. ‘What ever you do, don’t get stuck in the vortex!’ they would say. Or maybe it was ‘Welcome to the vortex’. Either way, I don’t see myself as stuck…..yet. There are many though trying to keep me here. Do I swim against the immense pulling force, or just go with it and enjoy the ride?

So, by the ‘vortex’, I mean the every day attraction of life here in Natimuk. I’ve been here just over 2 weeks now and I am finding that it is sort of like Fight Club. The first couple of rules “YOU DON NOT TALK ABOUT FIGHTCLUB (Natimuk)” seem to prevent people from knowing exactly what it is or who is in it. This only becomes evident upon entrance to the club and immersion in the life. But just like Fight Club, once it has you, it’s hard to see yourself anywhere else.

My days so far involve a fairly interesting job in a soil science lab at the DPI in Horsham performing all sorts of evil, maniacal experiments in chemical weaponry. I also test soils for their phosphorous concentrations. With aircon, regular coffee breaks and a workload typical of a government run operation i.e. slow and small, and the chance for me to indulge in my fondness for chemistry, this should be a pretty good way to earn a crust over the summer.

Afternoons are spent either climbing at the mount or going over to someones’ place for dinner and socialise. It was pretty cool to head out after work last week, knock out 3 pitches in a couple of hours, and be home by 8:30pm to cook dinner and put back a couple of beers. It’s sort of overwhelming when it comes to deciding what to climb now that it’s so close. If I were to come out for a weekend, I would know before I even left Melbourne the routes I was going to do/try, and would stick to that plan. But now, with so many routes 5 minutes down the road and ample opportunities to climb them, I can’t make up my mind what to do!

I’m pretty lucky to be renting a room from Gareth Llewellin. A top notch guy from QLD, and a proper socialite I must say. Through him and Marissa, I think I’ve met most of the climbers in town in the first week! Also staying here is Douglas Hockley, which was a funny surprise because I was climbing with Douglas in Melbourne way back in 2005.

But no matter how convenient the climbing is, how social the people are here, and the fact that I am actually doing a job with a sense of purpose for once, there are still times I yearn for Melbourne. To be sitting in the back yard at the folks place having a chin wag with mum and dad. Beers with mates on Brunswick St. I miss the people. And if I think hard about it, it’s the small moments with them I miss the most. The grind of the week, the traffic, the sensory overload of the city, all cancelled out by a few hours with friends and family. It was a pretty amazing year for me. A huge turn around from the dark place I was in last year. I had some pretty special people in my life over the year, new and old. They all helped me create a happier and healthier existence for myself. Something one can never forget, or begin to pay back.

So here I sit, on the edge of the vortex. On the one hand, everyday is one of peace and calm. Great people, friendly vibe, and awesome climbing just down the road. On the other hand, my friends and family back in Melbourne. The jury is still out as to where I will land.