Town mouse, country mouse

As I've mentioned before, I'm spending a bit of time in Sydney at the moment, whiling away a few hours with my big sister.
 Last week I hit the freeway again and found myself, four hours later, in the thriving metropolis that is inner city Sydney. The day before I left for Sydney I was reading "Town Mouse, Country Mouse" to my gorgeous girl. When I got out of my car (after spending quite some time finding a park), in my sister's street, I felt like that country mouse. I felt myself a bit taken aback by all the noise, people and concrete that make up the suburb where Jane lives. After all, if you walk for 20 minutes down the street, round the corner from their house you find yourself in the centre of Sydney. If I walk for 20 minutes round the corner from my house I find myself in bushland!

My sister's local park!

It takes me a day or so to get the hang of it all.To start walking a bit more purposefully, to work out the "good" cafes from the truly hundreds that are in the street over from my sister's place. How do all those cafes make a living!! To stop waiting for the green man to cross the road - all the locals completely disregard that green man! To stop feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the people that are talking on their mobiles, whilst walking their dogs, whilst drinking their coffees whilst helping their kids on their scooters!
After all, I have come from this,

,to this,

But, you know, it doesn't take long for the country mouse to bcome a bit more citified. I find I can sit in harbourside cafes and drink coffe with the best of them. And even though I'm a bit clumsy when juggling that same coffe with the dog and the child I can still keep smiling because all the other dog owners are so friendly and chatty. This inner city hustle and bustle is really just a front for a different kind of community. One where the park is your backyard and the cafe is your kitchen table.
So this country mouse did feel pleased to see the highrises disappear on the way back home yesterday but I am starting realise that country is not better than town, not more friendly than town, more pretty or even more safe. It's just a different form of community and at the moment I'm lucky enough to have foot in each.
Hope your weekend included some chatting, some walking and maybe even some dogs.

Megan xx