in the influence of place, j.e malpas discusses the human connection to place; mentioning indigenous australians and writers who have forged great connections with land and place.

i found this reading very interesting as i, myself, tend to be one of those people who feels strong connections with place. i strongly associate my most positive memories and fondest times with the places i have been – whether it be overseas travelling, at my beach house in blairgowrie, or on a road trip. i believe that the time you have is strongly dictated by the place you are, and therefore grow deep roots within the existence of a place.

i don’t particularly have the strongest connection to my home, the suburb i am in (templestowe – i find it the most boring suburb in melbourne) and sometimes i connect my area with annoyance. annoyance with lack of public transport, lack of cool and quirky eateries, lack of fun things to do.

my connection to place that i don’t spend much time in though, is a whole other story. last year, i went to croatia for the first time. we stayed with my family on the small island of ugljan in a small fisherman town called kali. the population would probably be 1000 at most, and i don’t particularly like fishing, but honestly, i’ve never felt so connected to a place. maybe it’s because i have family there that i don’t have here in australia, maybe because it was a beautiful island and summertime getaway holiday for two months – i can’t be sure. i just know that it was more than the human connection that made it the most special place i’ve ever been to. the reading discusses how our connection to place may stem from the world around us such as the people and things to do. while i think that’s true in a lot of cases, i just remember that as we drove to the ferry to take us to the mainland for the final time, i was crying because of the beautiful place i was leaving: the ocean right at your doorstep, the fresh produce every day, the 12th century fort at the top of a massive hill, the greenery everywhere you turn, the rocky and unpaved roads, the wildlife, the calmness and safety of walking late at night as the moon illuminates the water, the friendliness and kind disposition of all the people…

every morning, i would wake and sit on my balcony and watch the sun rise over the water and then read for awhile. it was peaceful and serene and i felt like my entire being was being cleansed and i think, maybe, it’s that completely rejuvenating effect that has me hooked on this place.

either way, i understand the poetic and often romantic connotation that malpas has discussed in regards to place, as i have felt it so strongly with more than one place.