We worked out the last time we saw each other was in about 1988. That's 35 years ago.
The magic of technology meant we knew what was going on in each other's lives. We have mutual friends both of us are in contact with.
35 years is a long time.
She gave me a locals tour of the city. The Waterfront. Government House. The Cathedrals. The parks. She showed me more of what I could take in on food in this humidity.
Then, later, we sat outside at the Darwin Ski Club, a glass of rose to hand and some dinner for the cafe, overlooking Fannie Bay as the last vestiges of an ordinary sunset dissolved into the sea. The best of the eighties were playing over the tannoy. This, she said, was old school Darwin. It was very awesome.
Social media is a good thing in some ways. Bringing people closer together, reconnecting, keeping up with people's lives. It's a great thing.
We spoke of many things. As she's a Darwin native, she's seen the place in all its facets. Working for the government, she's seen many things, gone through many iterations of her career. Haven't we all.
We spoke of all the things old friends speak of. Old friends and acquaintances. Our lives at the university college where we met. Our aging parents (we're both very lucky on that front), the state of politics in Darwin. Our respective health issues. The Wet. The Dry. Darwin history. My contract up here. The year she's about to take off.
And we realised how lucky both of us have been in life.
We may not have lived the lives of others. There's no fame. We're both comfortable. We've had rich and rewarding lives. We're both grateful for the opportunities we've had extended to us.
She dropped me of at the hotel around nine. It was a really great night.
To think that this time tomorrow night I'll be heading to the airport to go back to Melbourne.
Some of me wishes I had more time here, time outside of office hours, with which I could explore this place. It's not like anywhere else. I'll be back after Easter.
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