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Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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The sign you’re middle age — and it’s not what you’d think

There’s so much potential. The purging, the cleansing, the ridding of sins. I do realise that’s pretty philosophical for a large rubbish bin, but hear me out.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

THAT’S LIFE One ticket to the pillow show, please

A surgeon recently told me he also gets up at 4am, and operates on people all day WITHOUT NAPPING. I was so startled I had to have a lie down. Last week I managed to take a nap that shocked my friends.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke likes to use stories about her dad for radio content.

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A tribute to half of my gene pool

I thought this Father’s Day would be the perfect day to tell you about my dad, in all his quintessential hat wearing farmer glory.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke is an STM columnist.

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I have an oral hygiene confession to make

Years ago, on Ten Years Younger In Ten Days, a guy with black teeth admitted, under Sonia Kruger’s rigorous examination, that he hadn’t been to the dentist for seven years. It’s time I also came clean. 

Nat Locke

Nat Locke is impressed by people who start petitions on issues they care about.

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Park barbie a sizzling-hot topic

I’m not here to advocate for or against a barbecue in a Riverton park. But I am full of admiration for people who feel passionately enough about an issue that they are prepared to canvass for signatures. 

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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Here’s to friends, near and far

It’s genuinely delightful to reflect on your friendships from time to time. I encourage everyone to really relish in the joys, both large and small, that they contribute to your life.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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The secrets to a long life

I love when people celebrating an impressively huge birthday are asked the secret to their longevity. Sometimes they give wholesome advice and sometimes it’s “a can of Swan Gold and a vanilla slice every day”.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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Up, up and away from promises to my parents

A month or so ago, before I went on my Euro adventure, I had a conversation with my mum and dad where I basically vowed that I wouldn’t go hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, Turkey. 

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

THAT’S LIFEFinding joy in local cultural experiences

And that’s how I found myself mostly naked and sliding all over an array of marble surfaces at a Turkish hammam.

Nat Locke 

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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Solo travelling isn’t brave, it’s smart!

If you want to sleep in one day, you can, without upsetting someone who wants to get up and about at sunrise. If you want to eat baklava in bed instead of going out to dinner, oh boy, can you.

Nat Locke 

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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My startling realisation about who I am on travel tour

I am currently on a small group tour somewhere in Turkey and I have suddenly realised which role I occupy: it’s making me uncomfortable.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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Do adults require supervision? Asking for a friend

I’m fully aware that I am technically an adult, but recent experiences have taught me that I am nowhere near qualified to act without a proper adult watching over me. 

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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My holiday plans are all up in the air

I’m reluctant to make a geopolitical crisis in the Middle East all about me, but it seems like every other person I talk to is off to Europe and most of us are supposed to fly through the Middle East.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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Visa woes no Turkish delight

I have spent most of this week jumping to the obvious conclusion that the Turkish government hates me, which is a fairly bold statement, I know. Let me explain.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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The weird and wonderful life of a dog parent

I feel for my friends with kids; experts are always popping up to say something that was fine last week is now the direst thing possible. The same thing happens to dog owners. Yes, it’s exactly the same.   

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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When fun becomes a lost cause

Hearing about friends scrambling down rocky hillsides in Kalamunda after getting hopelessly lost reminded me of my own misadventure in the charmingly nicknamed “Stab City”…

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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My chills, they’re multiplying

We’ve been spoiled with sunny weather and now the harsh reality of a bitter Perth winter has started to impact. And by that, I mean, I have to put a cardigan on.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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If connection is so important, why are we so bad at it? 

I suspect part of the problem is that whenever we are in a situation where previously we might have struck up a conversation with a stranger, we now doomscroll furiously while avoiding eye contact.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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Turns out, even popes have a past

There’s the video footage of him going to a baseball game in 2005. Gasp! A future pope at the baseball? Whatever next? And don’t forget the TikTok video revealing his kissed someone’s mum at age 19.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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An ode to mothers, the knowers of all the things

I tried in vain to explain mental load to a mate. He’s adamant he’s an active dad. He does school pick-ups. He drops them to sports training. He goes to the supermarket. But who writes the shopping list?

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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The product recall that could have broken me — literally

I saw a product recall the other day that struck fear into my very heart because the fault in question caused people to fall over. It reminded me of my own concerning recall experience . . .

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

THAT’S LIFEPremiumMy rules for getting out of a social commitment

It’s one of life’s great paradoxes that two of the most soul satisfying things you can do are: 1. spend quality time with close friends and 2. cancel plans to spend time with close friends.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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Lessons from The White Lotus

Now the dust has settled on the latest season of The White Lotus (no spoilers but seriously, if you haven’t watched by now, what are you waiting for?), I’d like to talk about one of the storylines.

Nat Locke

Nat Locke pictured in the studio

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A list of what lies in my hobby graveyard

Does persistently plucking out the same three chin hairs count as a hobby? Does doomscrolling on Instagram count as a hobby? It’s not that I haven’t tried to find a hobby as an adult, my spare room is proof.

Nat Locke