This piece recounts a memorable summer in Sydney, marked by a shift in the atmosphere caused by a nearby wildfire. The author reflects on finding stability and rediscovering a sense of belonging after years abroad, culminating in a transformative experience witnessing the sky turn an ominous orange before returning to its usual blue.
I have to dig a bit to figure out when this summer was, as I don’t have photos to prompt my memory. But I do have dates to help. I know it isn’t my first one back in Sydney after living in Hong Kong for the previous six years. That was 2011, and I spent that summer trying to get my career back on track – taking any shift, any day, any time.
And I have made new friends. One is from work, and we bond over photography, travel and music and watching. We talk about Sydney and the blue skies and the beaches and white sand. We’ve both lived overseas and know what it feels like to be a stranger at home.One day, he asks me if I am keen to head up to a beach north of the city. I have no plans, the summer days feel long and full of possibility. Of course I say yes. He picks me up and we play music as we drive, windows down.
We find a spot on the hot sand and lay down our towels and simply exist. It is calm and perfect. And then, perhaps because of a wind change, the mood shifts. I can still see the image now: the sky glowing a strange orange, illuminated by the fires burning further south.
Memoir SUMMER REFLECTION BELONGING WILDFIRE MOMENTUM
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