We spent just over 24 hours in Canberra before flying back to Brussels. While Adrian gave a talk at the Australian National University, I frantically tried to catch up with many of my old friends. Luckily a few were on parental leave, and we were able to spend the morning with Hayden by Lake Burley Griffin, playing with sticks and putting together jigsaw puzzles. It was wonderful to be able to meet these new world citizens, and see the bond that was growing between them and their parents. I realised how much I had missed the vista across the lake, and the gentle expanse of green that surrounds it.
An ex lab-mate of mine was generous enough to spend the afternoon with us at Questacon, one of my most beloved Canberran institutions. I introduced Hayden to Mini-Q, and Hayden spent the afternoon running, climbing, sliding and exploring while we reminisced about BaMBi, genotyping ,and the tribulations of obtaining a PhD.
That evening we returned to the Pancake Parlous for one of their delicious cheese and potato pancakes, and the room was filled with old friends with new stories. Hayden had missed out on his nap and was a bit cranky, but Adrian handled him expertly and they shared some ice-cream together. There are big changes happening at the Australian National University – lab heads moving interstate, departments reorganising, reductions in funding – which makes many people nervous about their future. The recent cuts to the public sector also mean that the job prospects in Canberra are at their lowest in a generation.
The next morning we tried to catch up with another dozen people over breakfast, before leaving for the airport. This was a bit of a disaster, and left me feeling even more homesick than before. Even though Adrian was on parenting duty, all I was able to do was briefly say hello to everyone before it was time to leave. I felt terrible that so many people had got up so early on a Saturday morning to see us, and all they were rewarded with was a short chat in a very loud and crowded cafe. So much has happened in their lives – marriages, births, serious illnesses, home-improvements, new jobs, new pets, new travels – and I felt very frustrated that I wasn’t able to give them the time and attention that their story deserved.
I was reminded of all that I had left behind – a group of people who have known me for decades – with a similar history and shared stories. With children who would have been Hayden’s playmates, whose backyards would have welcomed us with lazy summer barbecues, with friendships that were already established. It was extraordinarily difficult to say good-bye.
I hope that soon we will be able to return to Canberra for a more substantial holiday, so that I can sit down with all these people that I care so deeply about, hear their stories more completely, and convey to them the value that their friendships hold for me.