I'm lucky enough to have a little time in nostalgic places in Australia before I leave. One of those places is a small park near where my aunt and uncle live, Rodd Point Park. It is unremarkable in Sydney, a small finger of green jutting into the Parramatta River. On the western side is a small sailing club at which my uncle used to have a boat. When I was a kid we went there a few times; I remember once seeing the bay choked with jellyfish.

When I first came to Sydney I felt quite lonely and disconnected from things despite staying with family, so I came to Rodd Point a few times. The water in the bay is normally quite still and not many people go to the park in the evening. Across the water is Leichhardt and the bike trails I often used to go play soccer in the city; behind it is Timbrell Park where I would take the dog for a walk. One evening after I came back from soccer in the city, I stopped at Rodd Point to think and watch the fishes jump in the darkness. Miserable as I was, the memory still gives the place a comfortable nostalgia.

Today, my final day in Australia for a while, I spent 20 minutes watching the water and the fishes jump. It was a bit of closure to my trip, a nice bookend. To top it off, I didn't feel miserable. I'm actually cautiously optimistic about coming home, combined with my excited anticipation of seeing old friends again. I'm about to board the plane, see you soon US peeps!