Koshy Matthew
Year 5, University of New England
Koshy gives a reflection about his move from the hustle and bustle of Sydney to the humble town of Armidale for his medical studies
Firstly, I should explain where I grew up.
It was in regular, suburban Sydney. There were always activities happening, various groups of friends to meet, people to visit and events to grab my attention. There were so many different people I would interact with, and so many things to take part in, that there was little time to stop and think about why I was even doing these things in the first place. If I were to compare my life to a blank page, these activities, social groups and events were like circles drawn on, of all different colours and sizes.
Then comes the part where I move to Armidale.
This was a different experience. Amongst many other changes, I now spent about 90% of my life living within a 1km radius of my bedroom. My classes, classmates, Church and sports groups were all concentrated around the rural hub that was the university campus. One of the few reasons that I would leave would be to go to the local shopping centre to do my weekly shopping (I had a luxurious choice between the two major supermarkets that the town had). It almost felt like the circles that were all but permanent drawings on my page were being taken away.
But here’s the thing.
As my paper became less cluttered, though I didn’t quite realise it at the time, I was able to focus much more on the few circles that remained. Relationships with others, many of whom were also in similar positions, began to thrive and a strong sense of community began to develop. This sense of community was one of the most meaningful circles that I ever realised I had.
And crazily enough, I was happier.
Because oftentimes, people trap themselves into thinking that the more circles they have on their page, the happier they will be, but as I discovered, that isn’t necessarily the case.
What is more important than the number of circles you have is how much you appreciate them, and having circles taken away can teach us to truly appreciate the ones that remain.
Coming from the city, moving rurally gave me a chance to declutter my page, pause, reflect and appreciate the circles that I had. For me, it was a process that ultimately resulted in joy, and I hope that by employing a similar mindset, it can be the same for you too.