Hello and welcome to my humble internet abode. Given that this is my first post, it seems appropriate to tell you a bit about myself and why I’m here.
I’m a born and bred resident of Townsville-welcomed into the world at Park Haven hospital and, save for a short stint as an expatriate, I haven’t lived on the other side of the city let alone moved away from my sunny hometown.
Like many in my position, I’ve grown to resent this “slice of heaven” as much as I love it. Though I’m hesitant to join the list of local presenters and journalists who shamelessly boast about the greatness of our city like leaders of a brainwashing cult, I can’t deny that this has been a fantastic place to grow up. Fifteen minutes from any part of town, low crime, friendly locals, a picturesque beach (even if it isn’t much to swim in), Magnetic Island, a relaxed and easygoing environment, and a general feeling of security and comfort no matter where you are. What more could you ask for?
Well, for starters, something to do. Like most Townsville teens, I quickly realised that sadly, this town comes up short on entertainment. A great place to grow up it may be, but as you text your friends yet again to see if they’ve come up with something to do beyond driving to Maccas, you can’t help but feel like you’ve outgrown it.
And even that feeling of comfort and security is too good to be true-I seldom find opportunity to get out of my comfort zone because this big country town, where strangers are friendly to each other and where if you spend more than two minutes with a person you discover that your parents went to school with theirs, IS my comfort zone. It wasn’t until I roamed the streets of Sydney, New York, and Chicago with trepidation (having only experienced the relaxed safety net of Townsville) that I realised that in life you do need to challenge yourself, and this tropical paradise is most certainly not a challenge.
So here I sit at the top of another year and the start of my last year of university-my last year of having an acceptable excuse as to why I haven’t left the city that I spent the last paragraph (and the last few years) complaining about. But, given my sometimes obscured but always undeniable affection for this city, I want to give it one last chance to prove me wrong.
How can I do this?, you ask. I intend to go to every event that the city has to offer this year. If it’s advertised somewhere on a sign hanging from a park fence, I’ll be there to give it a go.
And then I’ll be here, to chronicle 2010 in Townsville.
I hope you’ll stick around for it!
