An ode to Dunedin

How many homes can one person have?

For me, there’s England, which I left very young but can remember just enough of (with the help of family memories and old photos). Then Christchurch where I spent my childhood and teen years, Ireland and Iran where both halves of my heritage comes from and Auckland where I’ve made a life with my fiancé and spent my career so far.

And then there’s Dunedin.

I’m never quite prepared for the visceral reaction that I get when I return here. But as I was walking through the Octagon last week, I was struck by how much I love this city.

I’m no longer a student and it’s been seven years since I left, but this city still feels like a home away from home.

In many ways, I’m grateful for that feeling. Living here came with a lot of stress as it does for all students. Surviving health science first year, surviving my degree then surviving managing myself while also making and maintaining friendships.

But that stress hasn’t coloured how I feel about the city itself. Every time I visit, there’s that sense of comfort, like greeting a long-lost friend.

Part of that feeling is down to the fact that I met my best friend here, the first day I arrived in Dunedin over 10 years ago. As I make my way round the city, I think about our memories: our favourite study spots dotted across campus; ice creams from Rob Roy dairy; our many cheap and cheerful meals; bubble tea from Cha Time; the churro truck at the museum that we would run to after our last class of the day to try and get there before it closed. Despite our many attempts, we never did quite make it.

Fresh eyes

There’s also something interesting about the anonymity that comes with returning to a city you used to live in, in a country as “small world” as Aotearoa. Dunedin is a place where I used to be known, but now I’m not. The transient nature of the student population means most of the people I spent my time with here are long gone.

In that respect it feels like I’m seeing the city with fresh eyes. And while there’s plenty of changes in the people here, it still feels like the Dunedin I knew.

I’m pleased I still know my way around the streets, that many beloved eateries are where I left them, as is that mural of Ed Sheeran on Bath St.

Part of Dunedin's beauty is also in its simplicity. You can be standing on the university campus and a 10 minute walk in one direction gets you into the hubbub, the restaurants, shops and clubs. Ten minutes in the other gets you towards the outdoors: Logan Park, the bottom of Signal Hill, the harbour.

For me, this city was a place of many firsts: living on my own; going for a run and actually enjoying it (I subsequently ran a loooong trail run - shout out to Three Peaks!); my gym era (shout out to Unipol!); walking everywhere and anywhere; staying up until 5am to finish an assignment (#studentlife); travelling to the North Island for rugby sevens (shout out to the Otago University Seafarers 7s Club!)

Rugby, running and the gym are more reasons why Dunedin is so special - all three challenged and empowered me in equal measure.

But after my trip last week, I realised that Dunedin was home to another first: it was where I figured out that I wanted to be a journalist.

On March 15, 2015, one month into my first year, I wrote my first article for Critic Te Arohi.

Not longer after that, I attended a journalism conference in Wellington and then another journalism workshop at University of Otago.

In the weeks that followed, I realised that writing weekly for Critic were the times that I felt any joy about what I was doing at university (in terms of studying, that is).

This totally changed my trajectory: while I stayed in Dunedin to finish a science degree, I then went on to study a post-graduate diploma in journalism.

So when I think about the role Dunedin played on me and my career, it’s massive. And maybe, that’s the other reason why I feel content every time I come back.

It gave me the certainty that my childhood dream of being a writer was exactly what I wanted.