The crushing of gravel by feet, the whispering of the trees. The caressing of the sun on your cheeks, the warm hug of semi-humid air. The ambient laughing of a kookaburra, the cheerful exhilaration of pleasant company. A 60-degree incline loomed ahead of me, in which each foot rhythmically planted into each crevice of the rocky wall, accompanied by regular panting. As I turned back, the scintillating landscape of Melbourne lay before my eyes. Despite physically being out of breath, it was emotionally breathtaking. A luscious carpet of greenery rolled into the horizon. Skyscrapers of the Central Business District seemed to grab at the sky, accompanied by the vastness of the adjacent Port Phillip bay. Captured in this view, lay the bustling livelihoods of 5 million people. The heartbeat of Melbourne portrayed in a snapshot of time.
