I have been home for almost a week now, and I'm delighted that going from summer to prairie winter isn't as terrible as I thought it would be. You can take the man out of the prairie, but...
Anyway, the most noticeable change is that the sun goes down so much earlier. The result of this is that my body shuts down, and I could fall asleep any time between 8 and 9pm, every day. And it's not a time zone thing, either. 9pm here would be 4pm where I've been. It's totally a sun thing, and I look forward to my body adjusting to my new sunlight schedule.
Until recently, I had no desire to look for classical guitar sheet music. But in the last while, I have gone back to some of the material from my last few years of school, and I enjoy it again. It's good to want to keep playing some of that music, before it slips from my memory completely.
My Last Day in New Zealand
My travels here are coming to an end soon. I leave for Vancouver tomorrow, and I'm already packed to go. I'm really going to miss this place, though I am certain I will be back some day. I would really like to go on tour here some time. I've met a lot of cool people here in Wellington.
Tonight I will be playing my last performance here, at a new open mic event. It's only in its third week, and that's where I'm having my farewell get-together. It seems appropriate to be spending my last evening playing music and hanging out with the open mic crowd.
Tonight I will be playing my last performance here, at a new open mic event. It's only in its third week, and that's where I'm having my farewell get-together. It seems appropriate to be spending my last evening playing music and hanging out with the open mic crowd.
Kaikoura
I've been in Kaikoura for the past two days. It's a tourist town on the east coast of the south island, known for whale-watching, dolphin-swimming, and great scenery. Unfortunately, the weather has been shite, and it rained for most of yesterday. However, I stayed at my friend Ayça's place, and worked on some writing projects all day. It was actually quite productive. I also played at a local bar last evening, which was a lot of fun.
Today I walked down to a seal colony, and got amazingly close to some seals. The scenery was amazing, despite the dull weather, and the rain stopped long enough for me to walk there and back home. It's been a great trip. I definitely plan to see more of the country when I am next in New Zealand.
Today I walked down to a seal colony, and got amazingly close to some seals. The scenery was amazing, despite the dull weather, and the rain stopped long enough for me to walk there and back home. It's been a great trip. I definitely plan to see more of the country when I am next in New Zealand.
Two Weeks Left
With my departure two weeks from tomorrow, I have been trying to fill up my schedule with as many awesome things as possible. Tomorrow I am going on a three-day trip to Kaikoura, to work with another writer to rewrite a few episodes of a web-series that will be shot in Auckland sometime early this year. While I'm there, I've also worked out a gig at a local bar for Thursday night. Upon returning on Saturday, I will be preparing to play on the acoustic stage at the 350 Birdman Competition on Sunday.
Tonight, though, I have to pack for my trip and go to a new open mic event at Meow here in Wellington. It's a busy week, but I'm sure it'll be a good one.
Tonight, though, I have to pack for my trip and go to a new open mic event at Meow here in Wellington. It's a busy week, but I'm sure it'll be a good one.
It is important to travel once in a while.
It is such a healthy thing to go somwehere away from home until you miss it. Just once in a while, so that you can remember what you miss about home. Because once you have a little time and distance from it all, you start to forget about the things that didn't matter, or which bothered you. And you realize which things you actually miss about home. You get a clear sign of the things you miss, and the things you don't, and it's amazing for self-reflection. You realize what is was about the things you did that you truly enjoyed.
You also gain exposure to new things when you travel. I have started listening to all kinds of new artists since coming to Wellington. I have spent all week listening to Amanda Palmer's album "Who Killed Amanda Palmer." I also cleaned my iPod. I took off everything, and only put music on it which I have recently acquired, focusing on new artists I want to experience, with a very few classic album exceptions. I added Weezer's Pinkerton, because I use it to induce sleep. Not because it's a boring album, but because I have a Pavlovian association between Pinkerton and sleep.
Since I decided to come home early, I have enjoyed myself more. I have relaxed about the whole financial thing, and really taken the time to do the things that interest me. It has been so amazing. I recommend this interesting TED talk, which explains many of the wonderful things I am experiencing on my holiday in New Zealand.
You also gain exposure to new things when you travel. I have started listening to all kinds of new artists since coming to Wellington. I have spent all week listening to Amanda Palmer's album "Who Killed Amanda Palmer." I also cleaned my iPod. I took off everything, and only put music on it which I have recently acquired, focusing on new artists I want to experience, with a very few classic album exceptions. I added Weezer's Pinkerton, because I use it to induce sleep. Not because it's a boring album, but because I have a Pavlovian association between Pinkerton and sleep.
Since I decided to come home early, I have enjoyed myself more. I have relaxed about the whole financial thing, and really taken the time to do the things that interest me. It has been so amazing. I recommend this interesting TED talk, which explains many of the wonderful things I am experiencing on my holiday in New Zealand.
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