It's amazing how much a place can affect you. I was reminded of this again as I breathed in deep and gazed out from the Austen Alpinelodge balcony for the second year running on New Years Eve.
Whenever I visit Mt Hotham in the Victorian Alpine Ranges, it has a profound affect on me. Perhaps it's the fact that, unlike viewing a city-scape, you can gaze out so far across the mountain range and at night see a plethora of stars you never knew existed. The potential of creating the most amazing life seems endless and full of possibility in these moments.
In any season the mountains are stunning, however summer in the hills has been a recent discovery for me and I have come to appreciate the land and all it has to offer over this season.
I went back and re-read my post in January 2012 to see what I felt about this place and reflected on then. My response now is much the same...and some. It's hard to explain without sounding naff, but one year on I really do feel I've reconnected with nature and I feel revitalised. All just by looking out from the lodge balcony at the expansive landscape each day for one week. The view still blows my mind. Even though I looked out form the same location at the same landscape, each day I reflected on the everyday happenings that are routine, while simultaneously discovering something new.
It's in these moments I continually marvel and appreciate that I have access to this beauty in the world and am grateful that I can return to Mt Hotham each year. The new discoveries inspire me and the ritual calms me. If you ever get the chance, I recommend visiting the Victorian Alpine Range at least once in your lifetime. I might be biased due to my childhood connection, however every person I introduce to the mountains falls in love with them and inspires them to return to this place.