Wake me when it's over

The first time I travelled overseas for any real length of time was back in 2001 and I was away from home for 6 weeks. I confess that I don't remember much about my homecoming that time, other than my sister had decorated my room with a "Welcome Back" banner and balloons, and my dog wet himself over the excitement of seeing me again. Fortunately for everyone, Barkley was the only family member to endure that at the time.

But I've been emailing a few friends back home who have returned to Australia after substantial time away, and they all make the same comment. "Oh, it's slower here," they tell me fondly, not in any derogatory way at all. Adelaide gets dumped on enough away from home, but its expat citizens are loud and proud when it comes to defending their fellow Crow Eaters, trust me on that one. I do volunteer that the coffee is better in Melbourne, but that's to be inflammatory.

And I know what they mean when they say that returning to Adelaide is like slowing down. Think about it for a second. Adelaide is smaller than Chicago - both in terms of population and sheer geography. And Adelaide is quieter - people are not so keen to test their car horns every 30 seconds back home.

And road rage isn't as big of an issue back home, due in some part I'm sure because the City of Adelaide's major cultural attractions are within walking distance of each other. The North Terrace precinct is a superb day out, particularly in the sunshine. No wonder people feel like they're slowing down, when they can simply walk from museum to gallery, soaking up the culture, and then lie down in the shade of a Morton Bay Fig Tree in the Botanic Gardens to rest at the end of the day. I think everyone would want to slow down like that, don't you? And if wine and food are more your thing (helloooo?!) then Adelaide is your town. Wineries anyone? You get where I'm going with this.

I made the comment the other day (rather glibly at the time) that I could see myself working for the SA Tourism Commission, once I'd exhausted my global travels, whenever that sad day might come. And the more I think about it, the more attractive that idea is to me.

Adelaide may not be Times Square in New York, but surely Times Square gets exhausting after a while? And I'll bet that after you've been pushed and shoved on the Paris metro or sweated your way through the end-of-season sale at Top Shop in Oxford Street, freshly cooked fish and chips at Brighton Beach at sunset sounds pretty good?

• Or a walk along the jetty at Glenelg after the biggest feed of Mexican at "El Gringos".
• Or watching the penguins squirm their way into burrows at Penneshaw.
• Or climbing to the top of the Rocking Horse at Gumeracha and wondering how you'll get down.
• Or taking a camel tour through the McLaren Vale vineyards.
• Or doing the Mexican Wave on the Hill at Adelaide Oval on Australia Day.
• Or Haighs chocolate.
• Or eating organic pizza on Hutt Street and then dancing till midnight at the Havi, against your better judgement.
• Or watching the sun set, champagne in hand, from the Oyster Bar at Holdfast Shores.
• Or eating fresh Greek yoghurt direct from the tub at the Central Market on a Friday night.
• Or an icy cold Coopers Beer on a hot summer day.
• Or getting the wrong order - every time - from the crazy european at the Perfect Cup on Grenfell Street.

I guess slowing down is not such a bad thing, when there is simply so much to enjoy while you're doing it. And even if their list isn't the same as mine, I'm sure my fellow Adelaide expats would agree with me.