Midweek Moment #39: When home is two places

I’m fascinated by the notion that for many, home can be two places. Your ‘heart’ can live on two sides of the continent, state or world.

I’ve been entertaining my Sydney-based Mum this week, so the camera’s been packed away. I’ve taken photos, but mostly snapshots on the phone (and a few silly selfies with Mum). When it came to Midweek Moment, I pondered which photo from the archive I should choose. In the  end, Louise’s photo of a boat provided the inspiration.

My photo, taken while on a ferry to Manly in February, shows two Sydney ferries going in opposite directions, against the backdrop of a moody sky and the Sydney skyline. Although the sky was cloudy and eventually bestowed rain on our family reunion, the air was warm and humid … the kind of day where you wear a constant sheen of perspiration over your skin. Although I now call Perth my home, I’m originally a Sydney girl and days like this bring that two-home feeling to the forefront. It made me remember catching ferries to the zoo or trips to Manly as a child, and later, taking my own sons on ferries to the same places.

Louise also returned to her other home recently. At the weekend, she and her husband flew to Launceston, Tasmania, for a family wedding. On Sunday morning, they walked around the city in which they’d both grown up. The day was cold, wet, and windy, and there was even a bit of thunder. Mid-walk, they were caught in a downpour and sought shelter in a coffee shop by the river.

Louise says Tasmanian weather is notorious for its four seasons in a day and, true to form, as soon as their coffee came, the rain cleared and the sun emerged. She slipped out and took this photo of a boat on the Tamar River. The sunlight was dazzling on the water, and she had to overexpose the background in order to see the boat. It wasn’t until she uploaded the pics that she saw its name: Launceston. How appropriate!

Where is home for you?

***

Once a week, Louise (of Louise Allan: Life From the Attic) and I team up to share creative photos on our websites. It’s all part of our challenge to stretch ourselves creatively.