Six months in an op shop

Six months since I started volunteering in an op shop in a Melbourne suburb. What’s an “op shop?” It’s short for “opportunity shop.” Same thing as a charity shop in the UK or thrift store in the US. Selling second-hand donated (and some new) clothes and household items with the proceeds going to charity, overheads notwithstanding. I’d been travelling for six months and the last few had been intense. I’d overplanned, so a relentless pace around Southeast Asia. Bali, Lombok, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. I was running on fumes and needed somewhere to stop. I’d had a week in Melbourne earlier in the year and it had immediately felt familiar. A sort of London-ish vibe. I was missing that. London yet not London. Ideal for some downtime, routine and stability. I’d made friends with my previous Airbnb hosts so a place was ready and waiting for me. <a href="https://himalmandalia.medium.com/six-months-in-an-op-shop-3cf81b00c393">Website</a>