There is seriously too much to type on here with a $1 for every 15 minutes internet cafe. It would probably be $50 after I finished so I'll try to skim through the most of it.
After leaving Auckland, Peter and I arrived in the Bay of Islands. This place was amazing. It obviously had some islands. That night we met two other backpackers, Brooke and Stiina. They invited us to go kayaking the next day. The next day we all went kayaking on this barren island and picked up mussels from the shore. That night we cooked them in a 5 star dinner...especially compared to most backpackers meals that consisted of a can of beans. That night everyone got drunk and jumped in the ice cold ocean. It was pretty cinematic. The next day we drove to the west coast and saw these Avatar-like huge trees while listening to the soundtrack to Avatar. It was comical. Brooke left that night as Peter and I gathered clams in the shallow waters off the coast. Suddenly, this seems like we're back in the caveman days...gathering food and wandering deserted islands. That night Peter, Stiina and I had steamed clams. There's something amazing about finding your own food and cooking it.
We said goodbye to Stiina the next day and left Bay of Islands. Our roommate Shay came with us. Shay was from the UK and had the work visa just like us. We all drove to Mercury Bay in Coromandel. This place was very low key. At this point all we were drinking was New Zealand wine since it was so good and cheap. The next day we got free kayaks and paddled out along the limestone coast. It was amazing seeing these cliffs reach out into the sky while under turquoise waters. In the afternoon we saw the awesome Cathedral Cove, which might be the best beach I've ever been to. Shortly after we went to Hot Water Beach where we dug holes in the sand to dig out the sometimes boiling thermal waters that hid under the sand.
Shay, Peter and I left the next morning and made it to the sulfur smelling Rotorua. We walked around this park next to our hostel that had a shitload of mud pools. It was annoying that there was so much trash in them though. Whats the point of chucking a bottle in mud? That night we drank way too much and blacked out from all the wine. The next day we tried to sober up before going on some class 5 rapids. We whitewater rafted off a 7 meter water fall (21 feet).
The next day we left Rotorua, leaving Shay behind. We tried to make plans to meet up in Wellington later in the week. Peter and I arrived in Taupo a few hours later. Yesterday we hiked 25 km's/12ish miles up a mountain that had 5 different ecosystems. Today I am still feeling that hike. Now we head to Waitomo Caves to see some Glow Worms before heading to Wellington for the weekend.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
New Zealand
So these last 4 days I've been staying in Auckland. It's a pretty ordinary city but if you take a ferry to one of the surrounding islands it's pretty amazing. I felt like I'm in a modern day shire when we arrived at Waiheki. Waiheki is a great day trip if anyone is ever in Auckland. The beachs are in these little nice protected coves with odd looking water with spots of purple that look like wine. They've actually found a way to turn water into wine here I guess. Peter and I grabbed a beer and chilled on the beach. I actually fell asleep for a few minutes before waking up to a chilly breeze. The weather is still a little bit cold here. It's in the 60's in the day and 50's at night. I'm hoping it warms up a little more in the next few weeks.
Today we got a car, which was a huge relief. It's a gold Honda Accord that we are calling the Gold Nugget. We will head up to Bay of Islands in a few and really start the journey. It's not fun being stuck in a city when you know that the surrounding area is middle earth so the Gold Nugget is our ticket out.
The odd thing about New Zealand so far is that I haven't met a lot of locals. Auckland is saturated with backpackers and I might as well be in England because Brits are ubiqitous here. Australia had a lot more locals but then again Australia has a population of 20 million opposed to 4 million here. 3 million of that might be sheep... Anyways off to Bay of Islands.
Today we got a car, which was a huge relief. It's a gold Honda Accord that we are calling the Gold Nugget. We will head up to Bay of Islands in a few and really start the journey. It's not fun being stuck in a city when you know that the surrounding area is middle earth so the Gold Nugget is our ticket out.
The odd thing about New Zealand so far is that I haven't met a lot of locals. Auckland is saturated with backpackers and I might as well be in England because Brits are ubiqitous here. Australia had a lot more locals but then again Australia has a population of 20 million opposed to 4 million here. 3 million of that might be sheep... Anyways off to Bay of Islands.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Goodbye Australia
So my last day in Australia consisted of watching the Redskins lose 59 to who cares and saving an abandoned dog. When I went to the beach before the game I found this dog who was alone just sitting in the shade. He quickly came over to me and layed down. It was pretty much the saddest sight I'd seen in a long time. The dog was all ratty looking with dried out fur from the ocean salt. I sat with the dog for 20 minutes hoping his owner would return but nothing. There was no way I was going to ditch this dog or it would follow to me for the rest of my life. I walked with it on the beach looking for it's owner but still nothing. Finally, some people with a car said they'd drive it to the shelter, which is better than being all alone on a beach in the sun. I hope they don't gas their animals here. I also hope that the owners get the dog back and treat it well.
After the game I walked to Coolangatta and ate thai. The people made me wait 3 minutes for their happy hour. Is it really that big of a deal? 3 minutes? Assholes. I would have gone somewhere else but there wasn't anywhere to go. I walked back to the hostel on the beach and went into deep thought. The trip wasn't even halfway through but the thoughts of what I was going to do with my life returned. Still clueless on the other side of the world.
Today I'll fly to New Zealand and meet Peter in Auckland. I'm excited to have a constant friend to hang out with again and also a car. I've been stranded here for over a week and am ready for a change. Still need to decide if I want to extend my flight. Need to figure that out fast.
After the game I walked to Coolangatta and ate thai. The people made me wait 3 minutes for their happy hour. Is it really that big of a deal? 3 minutes? Assholes. I would have gone somewhere else but there wasn't anywhere to go. I walked back to the hostel on the beach and went into deep thought. The trip wasn't even halfway through but the thoughts of what I was going to do with my life returned. Still clueless on the other side of the world.
Today I'll fly to New Zealand and meet Peter in Auckland. I'm excited to have a constant friend to hang out with again and also a car. I've been stranded here for over a week and am ready for a change. Still need to decide if I want to extend my flight. Need to figure that out fast.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Koalas and Kangaroos
If you read the last post about Marcus then you obviously know I'm still alive. It was odd...we never actually ran into each other again. That's fine with me!
So, this week I've been slowly getting over something called "Walking Pneumonia." I've been coughing up blood, mucus and anything else sinister. I finally went to the doctor a few days ago and got some antibiotics. I've been taking it easy all week. Usually I go to the beach, walk a few km's and come back. These last two days the hostel has completely emptied out. I've been in an 8 guy room and I'm the only one in there! Loneliness definitely sets in when there is literally no one in your hostel besides 2 snobby (or less likely shy) French girls, a couple of Asians who can't speak English well and an old guy.
Yesterday as the loneliness hit its peak, I decided to swim in the ocean. Unfortunately, there were heaps of jellyfish. There were blue bottle ones that looked like something from outer space, ones that looked like ice cubes and even one with tiger stripes. Tiger stripes + Jellyfish can't equal something good. Later that day I received an email from Axel with his number. He had got a new place about 2 km south so i walked there and we had a beer. It was good actually having a conversation with someone again. He's a good guy.
Today I decided to go to this wildlife sanctuary. I spent about 5 hours there checking out all the animals. The Kangaroo park was amazing. There was about 100 Kangaroos just lounging out and you could feed and pet them. FACT: Kangaroos are soft. There you go...we all learned something today. I went into a sub-section of the park and found Tree Kangaroos, which are the cutest things on Earth. Sorry for saying "cute"...not manly enough. Uh...*cough* Nascar...Football!!!! Yeah!!! There we go...back to normal.
I saw the Koalas and read about how they are dying out. It made me so mad. 200 years ago there were 10 million and now there are about 100,000. I hate humans. It made me think that I could pursue a career as an environmentalist. I hear they get paid big time. Hmm...sarcasm doesn't work in text. But atleast I'd be doing something good for the world...plus I could kind of have a pet Koala...I'd name it Koala. Creative.
I came home today and whoaaaa..there is now 1 more person in my room. This hostel is getting packed. Again...sarcasm doesn't work in text. I only have 2 more full days here until I shoot over to New Zealand for phase 3 of this journey.
3 more days till New Zealand.
So, this week I've been slowly getting over something called "Walking Pneumonia." I've been coughing up blood, mucus and anything else sinister. I finally went to the doctor a few days ago and got some antibiotics. I've been taking it easy all week. Usually I go to the beach, walk a few km's and come back. These last two days the hostel has completely emptied out. I've been in an 8 guy room and I'm the only one in there! Loneliness definitely sets in when there is literally no one in your hostel besides 2 snobby (or less likely shy) French girls, a couple of Asians who can't speak English well and an old guy.
Yesterday as the loneliness hit its peak, I decided to swim in the ocean. Unfortunately, there were heaps of jellyfish. There were blue bottle ones that looked like something from outer space, ones that looked like ice cubes and even one with tiger stripes. Tiger stripes + Jellyfish can't equal something good. Later that day I received an email from Axel with his number. He had got a new place about 2 km south so i walked there and we had a beer. It was good actually having a conversation with someone again. He's a good guy.
Today I decided to go to this wildlife sanctuary. I spent about 5 hours there checking out all the animals. The Kangaroo park was amazing. There was about 100 Kangaroos just lounging out and you could feed and pet them. FACT: Kangaroos are soft. There you go...we all learned something today. I went into a sub-section of the park and found Tree Kangaroos, which are the cutest things on Earth. Sorry for saying "cute"...not manly enough. Uh...*cough* Nascar...Football!!!! Yeah!!! There we go...back to normal.
I saw the Koalas and read about how they are dying out. It made me so mad. 200 years ago there were 10 million and now there are about 100,000. I hate humans. It made me think that I could pursue a career as an environmentalist. I hear they get paid big time. Hmm...sarcasm doesn't work in text. But atleast I'd be doing something good for the world...plus I could kind of have a pet Koala...I'd name it Koala. Creative.
I came home today and whoaaaa..there is now 1 more person in my room. This hostel is getting packed. Again...sarcasm doesn't work in text. I only have 2 more full days here until I shoot over to New Zealand for phase 3 of this journey.
3 more days till New Zealand.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Adelaide/Gold Coast
So we drove straight to Adelaide and unfortunately the person we were going to crash with bailed. We ended up getting an over priced hotel with a tv that only seemed to play Two and a Half Men...I'm pretty sure that means it should be free. The next morning we woke up and went to the beach. It was cloudy so there wasn't a lot to do. We gambled on pokies a little bit (made $20) and started heading back to Melbourne. The stops to see relatives along the way were a lot more fun than Adelaide since I got to meet more locals. I even got to hold the biggest crab I've ever seen in my life.
We got back and took it easy the next few days. I was heading to Gold Coast at 7:30 AM on Sunday and James was planning on going out the night before for his bday. We all went out to Fed Square and basically drank all night, got a taxi home at 5 AM and I grabbed my bags and left. Already being up for 24 hours, I didn't feel too good when I had to wait in line to check my bag. I got on the plane shortly after and flew away to Gold Coast.
It was only a 2 hour flight so I didn't sleep much. I landed in Gold Coast a zombie. I grabbed my bags and walked out of the airport. It always feels like you're doing something wrong when you walk out of an airport instead of catching a ride. I walked about a quarter mile and found my hostel.
Before, I had been a little nervous of my first time backpacking alone but today I was too tired to have emotions. I met my two roommates shortly after, Marcus and Alessandro. Marcus was from Australia and Alessandro was from Italy. Alessandro wanted to be called Axel. Probably after the rockstar? I didn't go to sleep so I ended up staying awake for about 40 hours. There was something definitely off about Marcus. I could quickly tell he was a compulsive liar which should have brought up more red flags.
The next day I wandered Gold Coast and ended up running into Marcus. He had been drinking all morning and was getting drunk fast. He convinced me he had won $3000 at the pokies but suddenly only had $100 dollars...more red flags. We went to the casino and he proceeded to bet $5 a spin on the slot machines. Luckily, he won but I would quickly realize that a drunk schizophrenic with money was a lot worse than a broke drunk schizophrenic. Marcus had convinced himself that the other people in the casino were out to get him so we left. There's not enough red flags on earth for this guy...
Axel was quickly getting tired of Marcus as well. Marcus would constantly wake Axel up in the middle of the night to see if he wanted to smoke a cigarette (Axel's cigarettes of course). Marcus went out the next night and drank more and more with the money he had won. I wouldn't call it an exaggeration if he drank close to 30 or 40 drinks throughout the day. He came back a mess. He had blown all his money, bought some fake looking silver necklaces and shoes. He kept turning on the lights and calling drug dealers just mumbling "Ya...Ya...Nahhhhh". I'm pretty sure it was just an answering machine.
He kept listening to the same rap song on loop. The song had great lyrics of course. A thousand "niggas" and "bitches n' hoes" and you have yourself quite a refreshing take on the world. I watched as he just ate it all up with a glaze of sweat on his face. The same old loop replaying and this guy just surrendered to it. It's sick how that music is targeted towards insecure guys like that. On a lighter note, I couldn't help but be envious of one aspect with Marcus. The guy has around 30 drinks and I didn't see him go take a piss once. If I have a teaspoon of beer I'm going every 15 minutes... My bladder must be the size of a shot glass. Is that sick that that's what I think about when I see an alcoholic with severe problems? Yes...
The next day, Axel and I changed dorm rooms while Marcus was out drinking and gambling...at 11 A.M. As I write this Marcus still hasn't returned. Yesterday he pawned off a $2000 laptop for $400 and lost it all. I imagine he was pawning everything else off today as well. That is the recipe to get robbed if you ask me. Axel and I prepared for a shit storm when Marcus returned but then Axel got a random job offer from an old lady. She wanted Axel to plant trees on her farm 30 km away. It was good because unlike me, Axel was here to make money. He described the situation in Italy, which was very disappointing. It reminded me about America. The old lady offered to drive him there and let him stay the night at their Asian house on a farm. It sounds like an adventure but there's one big problem... Now it's all on me with Marcus when he returns. We'll see what happens...till next time.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Melbourne
For the last week I've been in Melbourne walking around and exploring. There's nothing like being on your own in a foreign city and wandering. I think I walked about 10 miles the first two days. I found this amazing Asian bakery called Breadtop, which sells a lot of mini things like cheeseburgers. Ordinary things are funny when they are mini. Things are about double in prices here so just going to McDonalds is going to be costing you about $10. If you live in Australia it's alright since minimum wage is $15 an hour but most people are making around $20. If you are American you will pay. This country seems to be "socialized" but everyone is living pretty good.
Halloween here is slowly coming along. It's nowhere near the level it is in the US. We found one place that was celebrating it - a gothic club. I walked in and immediately thought I was in the Fifth Element with all the neon people and glowing eyes. "Ahhh..here we go..Halloween", I said. Then one guy replied "It's like this everynight here." So Melbourne has a Fifth Element bar 24/7. We proceeded to get trashed and have a good time. I had some absinthe, which tasted like blackout. Since Australia is great..the last call was at 5:30 A.M. and we stayed till pretty much then, stumbled home, grabbed some McDonalds and passed out.
The next day consisted of recovery and gambling. I dropped some cash the night before so I was hesitant on losing but I came out ahead. After getting Thai and some candy I actually made money on the day - $4. I am now addicted to pokies (slot machines to us Americans) and will most likely be gambling everyday from here on out. It was nice knowing you.
Getting ready to go on a roadtrip up into south central Australia. It's called Adelaide but I thought "South Central Australia" sounded way more hardcore. After we get back I'll jump on a plane to Gold Coast and will stay at a hostel 1 block from the beach. Eventually I'm going to get to New Zealand...I hope...
Halloween here is slowly coming along. It's nowhere near the level it is in the US. We found one place that was celebrating it - a gothic club. I walked in and immediately thought I was in the Fifth Element with all the neon people and glowing eyes. "Ahhh..here we go..Halloween", I said. Then one guy replied "It's like this everynight here." So Melbourne has a Fifth Element bar 24/7. We proceeded to get trashed and have a good time. I had some absinthe, which tasted like blackout. Since Australia is great..the last call was at 5:30 A.M. and we stayed till pretty much then, stumbled home, grabbed some McDonalds and passed out.
The next day consisted of recovery and gambling. I dropped some cash the night before so I was hesitant on losing but I came out ahead. After getting Thai and some candy I actually made money on the day - $4. I am now addicted to pokies (slot machines to us Americans) and will most likely be gambling everyday from here on out. It was nice knowing you.
Getting ready to go on a roadtrip up into south central Australia. It's called Adelaide but I thought "South Central Australia" sounded way more hardcore. After we get back I'll jump on a plane to Gold Coast and will stay at a hostel 1 block from the beach. Eventually I'm going to get to New Zealand...I hope...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Down Under
We'll the journey has officially begun. I landed in Melbourne yesterday in high winds. I thought how shitty it would be if I ended up dying in a plane crash in the last minute of a 16 hour flight. Atleast have it crash during the first hour... Don't leave me high and dry on a plane for 16 hours next to a guy with face melting body odor and 2 shitty movies (Dinner for Schmucks/The Back-Up Plan). I thought movies were supposed to make it go by quicker? I'm pretty sure the script for Dinner for Schmucks was just a thousand pages with paint drying on them.
Met up with James after a few dogs smelled my bags for drugs. We drove through Melbourne and then he dropped me off at his place while he went to work. Extremely jetlagged, I managed to watch the Giants neuter the Cowboys and stay awake. I walked the dog through this wildlife preserve and saw wild parrots. That's when you know you are somewhere good. Instead of rats and pigeons, they have green and red parrots littering their land. I'm crossing my fingers that I see a parrot-rat hybrid come out of their sewers.
Got back from the walk and watched Jeopardy with James' parents while we drank some beers. I felt chuffed (proud) when I answered Jordan correct. Not Michael Jordan...the place with Petra...obviously...(roll eyes). It was 9 pm and I was a zombie. I felt bad because we were watching an extremely depressing documentary on the corruption in China and I was just dosing off. So insensitive... I think I had been up for 24 hours straight but atleast it got me on Australia's time zone. For your information when it's 9 a.m. on a Wednesday in Australia it is 6 p.m. on a Tuesday in NYC.
On a serious note, I feel amazing about coming here. The fear and pressures to stay home and get back in the rat race are gone. I know I made the right decision. Life is about experiences. Life is too short to let the fear control who you are.
Met up with James after a few dogs smelled my bags for drugs. We drove through Melbourne and then he dropped me off at his place while he went to work. Extremely jetlagged, I managed to watch the Giants neuter the Cowboys and stay awake. I walked the dog through this wildlife preserve and saw wild parrots. That's when you know you are somewhere good. Instead of rats and pigeons, they have green and red parrots littering their land. I'm crossing my fingers that I see a parrot-rat hybrid come out of their sewers.
Got back from the walk and watched Jeopardy with James' parents while we drank some beers. I felt chuffed (proud) when I answered Jordan correct. Not Michael Jordan...the place with Petra...obviously...(roll eyes). It was 9 pm and I was a zombie. I felt bad because we were watching an extremely depressing documentary on the corruption in China and I was just dosing off. So insensitive... I think I had been up for 24 hours straight but atleast it got me on Australia's time zone. For your information when it's 9 a.m. on a Wednesday in Australia it is 6 p.m. on a Tuesday in NYC.
On a serious note, I feel amazing about coming here. The fear and pressures to stay home and get back in the rat race are gone. I know I made the right decision. Life is about experiences. Life is too short to let the fear control who you are.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Less than 2 weeks away...
This trip came together at the last minute and suddenly I'm leaving in less than 2 weeks. The first leg of the trip will be on the west coast of America. Peter and Ryan have already left and will meet me in Seattle on October 2nd. From there we will head to Vancouver, CA and explore that area. Things feel right when you are exploring uncharted territory (uncharted for yourself). It must have been a whole new level of excitement for explorers back when they didn't know what the world even looked like.
Anyway, after Vancouver we will head down to Portland for a day or two. We will spend a lot of time at Rogue Alehouse and Voodoo doughnut I'm sure. After Portland we travel to Crater Lake to camp and then to Redwood National Forest. Next on the list will be San Francisco, where Taquerias are a must. After a drive down the PCH, we finish in LA. I fly back for sisters wedding and a week later I'll be in LA boarding a flight for Australia. After a few weeks in Australia, I will make my way to New Zealand and meet Peter in Auckland. From there it's roaming aimlessly time.
We all need something to look forward to. This is mine.
Anyway, after Vancouver we will head down to Portland for a day or two. We will spend a lot of time at Rogue Alehouse and Voodoo doughnut I'm sure. After Portland we travel to Crater Lake to camp and then to Redwood National Forest. Next on the list will be San Francisco, where Taquerias are a must. After a drive down the PCH, we finish in LA. I fly back for sisters wedding and a week later I'll be in LA boarding a flight for Australia. After a few weeks in Australia, I will make my way to New Zealand and meet Peter in Auckland. From there it's roaming aimlessly time.
We all need something to look forward to. This is mine.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Purchased!
It's been a long time coming but today it went down. I purchased my ticket to New Zealand. Actually, I'm arriving in Melbourne, Australia and from there will loiter that country for a few weeks. I went to Melbourne, Sydney and Gold Coast last November/December and loved it. What I'm eying is Cairns or Tasmania for this stint. From there I will catch a flight to Auckland, New Zealand where I will meet Peter and continue on this wild ride.
What can I say about this experience? It's been so draining. I feel like I've climbed a mountain with this decision. So many negative forces telling me not to go and instead be practical and give up on dreams. At times I believed them and others I was angry. Just because you're afraid doesn't mean you have to fill my world with black clouds. "Life is a state of mind." I love this. It's on Peter Seller's grave and was featured in his masterpiece "Being There". I believe this saying even more now.
Never give up on your dreams. Never let naysayers alter your vision. It won't be easy..because if it was then everybody would be doing it.
What can I say about this experience? It's been so draining. I feel like I've climbed a mountain with this decision. So many negative forces telling me not to go and instead be practical and give up on dreams. At times I believed them and others I was angry. Just because you're afraid doesn't mean you have to fill my world with black clouds. "Life is a state of mind." I love this. It's on Peter Seller's grave and was featured in his masterpiece "Being There". I believe this saying even more now.
Never give up on your dreams. Never let naysayers alter your vision. It won't be easy..because if it was then everybody would be doing it.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Clarity
I feel like I've come through the chaos and now there is finally clarity. For the longest time I've been trying to figure out what to do with this trip. Peter has his motivations and I have my own. I've decided to do this on my own and if we meet up then that's great. A huge weight has been lifted and now I can finally come to the final leg of this tour that is planning the trip. It feels like I'm days, maybe even hours away from pulling the trigger. All I can say is that this trip will test me in ways I've never been tested. Being on my own in a foreign country will be great for me. It might be more than one country as well. Asia is looking like a very good start to the trip. It would be a huge culture shock. It's scary and that's why it attracts me. This blog will start picking up very fast once these tickets are purchased. I think the next update will have the title "Purchased."
Maybe people will start reading this blog soon, too. I haven't shown it to anyone, fearing that I could somehow back out and be embarrassed and more importantly waste peoples time. So if you are reading this...I'm probably already out there in the world. I think it was important to have this first act of the blog. Maybe you are going back and forth thinking if you should do something like this. If you think you are crazy for having conflicting thoughts all you have to do to feel better is read these last 20 blogs and see how off the wall I was.
In the end I think it was a quote that pushed me in the right direction. I hope it helps you like it did for me.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.” -Mark Twain
Maybe people will start reading this blog soon, too. I haven't shown it to anyone, fearing that I could somehow back out and be embarrassed and more importantly waste peoples time. So if you are reading this...I'm probably already out there in the world. I think it was important to have this first act of the blog. Maybe you are going back and forth thinking if you should do something like this. If you think you are crazy for having conflicting thoughts all you have to do to feel better is read these last 20 blogs and see how off the wall I was.
In the end I think it was a quote that pushed me in the right direction. I hope it helps you like it did for me.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.” -Mark Twain
Sunday, August 1, 2010
GAP YEAR - Alaska
So I actually forgot to post this on the website. It's been done for about a month. This blog isn't very professional... Anyways here is GAP YEAR: Alaska. Hope you like it. Also, if you click on the video link you can watch it in a bigger format and in HD.
Gap Year: Alaska from Brett Line on Vimeo.
Travel Music
So back in 2007 I randomly flew to Hawaii on a whim to try to get on the film "Tropic Thunder". I bought a plane ticket on July 5th and flew away the same day. I only had a few hours to grab what I needed. I grabbed some clothes, a friends gps and an ipod shuffle. It was one of the free giveaway shuffles that could only hold around 20 songs so I had to choose wisely. I decided to go with an album I hadn't heard yet - Paul McCartney's Memory Almost Full. I flew to Oahu for the interview. The day of the interview I realized I was on the wrong island, which might have granted me the award of most stress ever from a person visiting Hawaii. So, I made up some bs story and pushed the interview 3 days as I hopped on a plane to the right island - Kauai. Went to the interview and after some promising calls eventually didn't end up with the job. Meanwhile, during the 2 weeks that was my adventure in Hawaii, I was listening to Memory Almost Full. Now, even three years later, that album is and will forever be linked to that trip. When most people think of Hawaii they think of surfing and palm trees. I think of a British guy's album about the winter years of his life. Completely random but I love it.
Anyways, I thought that I'd post my suggestions for great songs to bring with you on your next journey. Here are my top 10:
#10 - "Red and Shine" by Blue States - This song must be played in that moment where it hits you that you are somewhere far away and you love it.
#9 - "Snow Spectrum" by Seekae - Play this song when you are lost in nature and you will be at peace.
#8 - Any Siqur Ros song - Seriously...any of them. They can make anything 10 times more epic. Chilling at the Great Wall of China? Cool. Chilling at the Great Wall of China with Sigur Ros playing? Amazing.
#7 - "Ever Present Past" by Paul McCartney - It's Hawaii for me, what is for you?
#6 - "Long Time Fish Pie" by Seekae - I imagine that this song would be a really great companion if you were lost in some Asian country. Try it out and let me know.
#5 - "Look to Your Laurels" by Blue States - If life were a film, this would be in a redemption montage scene. It wouldn't be over the top like Rocky but it would still be just as inspirational.
#4 - "Happy Up Here" by Royksopp - Such a poppy song that screams night out in Europe.
#3 - "We Are The People" by Empire of the Sun - This song has such a dreamy sound that I can't get enough of. I love the break in this (the part right after chorus). This song reminds me that I am young.
#2 - "World Citizen (I Won't Be Disappointed)" from the Babel Soundtrack - This song is the perfect song to listen to if you are far far away and alone. I'd prefer to hear it in a Japanese cigar/jazz bar at night.
#1 - "Allies" by Blue States - This song is in queue for my next inspirational films ending. It just hits you. It injects you with this amazing euphoria and makes you feel like anything is possible. Definitely check out this artist.
Anyways, I thought that I'd post my suggestions for great songs to bring with you on your next journey. Here are my top 10:
#10 - "Red and Shine" by Blue States - This song must be played in that moment where it hits you that you are somewhere far away and you love it.
#9 - "Snow Spectrum" by Seekae - Play this song when you are lost in nature and you will be at peace.
#8 - Any Siqur Ros song - Seriously...any of them. They can make anything 10 times more epic. Chilling at the Great Wall of China? Cool. Chilling at the Great Wall of China with Sigur Ros playing? Amazing.
#7 - "Ever Present Past" by Paul McCartney - It's Hawaii for me, what is for you?
#6 - "Long Time Fish Pie" by Seekae - I imagine that this song would be a really great companion if you were lost in some Asian country. Try it out and let me know.
#5 - "Look to Your Laurels" by Blue States - If life were a film, this would be in a redemption montage scene. It wouldn't be over the top like Rocky but it would still be just as inspirational.
#4 - "Happy Up Here" by Royksopp - Such a poppy song that screams night out in Europe.
#3 - "We Are The People" by Empire of the Sun - This song has such a dreamy sound that I can't get enough of. I love the break in this (the part right after chorus). This song reminds me that I am young.
#2 - "World Citizen (I Won't Be Disappointed)" from the Babel Soundtrack - This song is the perfect song to listen to if you are far far away and alone. I'd prefer to hear it in a Japanese cigar/jazz bar at night.
#1 - "Allies" by Blue States - This song is in queue for my next inspirational films ending. It just hits you. It injects you with this amazing euphoria and makes you feel like anything is possible. Definitely check out this artist.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Awful Job...awful day
There's nothing worse than starting a new job when the first day is complete chaos. Right now I'm a production assistant on a reality show that is so unorganized. Just a week ago I was on the beach and drinking a corona yet now I feel like I just dove head first into hell. There is no order on this set. I'm being told 3 things to do at once all the time. One PA has already quit, leaving us down to 2 PA's. Is this what I have to do for money? Is this life in a nut shell? Must find a new life and a new career that isn't creating garbage like reality tv.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Hardest Part
The hardest part of a journey is before the journey even takes place. Right now I am slowly saving up money that will ultimately go toward plane tickets, hostels and food. It's a constant struggle everyday trying to stay positive. With a little over 3 months to go before the trip would begin, I find myself constantly second guessing myself. Should I go back to Los Angeles? Will this trip to New Zealand help me find what I'm looking for? Is there anything to find out there?
At this point, I honestly don't need a vacation. I'm not stressed or burnt out. If anything I'm the most energized I've been in years. So why do this trip then? My main motivation for going is because I feel like I may never have an opportunity like this again. Believe me, if someone told me that I would have a 6 month break from work in a year or two then I probably wouldn't go. But that's not reality. In reality I'm going to get locked down again and could easily not have a chance to do something like this for years and years. You never know what's going to happen. So at the moment I can go...and for that reason I should. I'm at square one and nows the time.
This is what I keep telling myself when I get pressured by peers about getting my shit together. I've been in their world, it's time to see this new one before anything else.
At this point, I honestly don't need a vacation. I'm not stressed or burnt out. If anything I'm the most energized I've been in years. So why do this trip then? My main motivation for going is because I feel like I may never have an opportunity like this again. Believe me, if someone told me that I would have a 6 month break from work in a year or two then I probably wouldn't go. But that's not reality. In reality I'm going to get locked down again and could easily not have a chance to do something like this for years and years. You never know what's going to happen. So at the moment I can go...and for that reason I should. I'm at square one and nows the time.
This is what I keep telling myself when I get pressured by peers about getting my shit together. I've been in their world, it's time to see this new one before anything else.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Top 5 Travel Movies
So do you need a little extra motivation to travel? After you watch one of these movies I think you'll already have bought your ticket.
#5 - 180 South
This one was just released and is available on instant view with Netflix. It's a documentary about a guys journey from southern California to Patagonia, Chile. He takes a sail boat all the way down there to climb the legendary Mount Fitzroy. There are some seriously beautiful shots in this film and the soundtrack was written by The Shins which really adds. A serious must for any adventure lover.
#4 The Art Of Travel
This is a small little movie that probably not a lot of people have seen. It's about this guy who drops everything in his life and jumps on a plane to Central America. Along the way he meets some interesting people and has an incredible journey traveling all the way to South America. This is one of those coming of age films but with travel. Although it can be a little rough around the edges (it's low budget), it's still a must for anyone who is stuck in a 9 to 5 job that they hate. Live vicariously through this movie and you'll understand why films like these are so good.
#3 - Vicky Christina Barcelona
I loved this film. I am a huge Woody Allen fan and he blew me away with this one. Sure, this movie might not be "realistic" but isn't that why we travel? To escape realism and find that fantasy? That's why I travel at least. This movie will make you want to visit Spain.
#2 - The Beach
Danny Boyle may be my favorite director but that does not make me biased. This is the ultimate travel movie. Although the second half kills the fantasy aspect of it, I still must recommend this film. It may not be a popular choice, knowing how everyone bags on it, but the locations are beautiful. I love what the main character Richard is all about and how he describes most tourists - people who travel far far away to sit in their comfy hotels and watch reruns of American television. Watch it!
#1 - Lost In Translation
I wish I could have amnesia for this film so I could relive the first time I watched it over and over again. This film is a masterpiece. If you haven't seen this film...GO OUT AND BUY IT NOW! And buy it on Blu-Ray. Buy yourself some Asahi, get some sushi and turn this thing on. Bill Murray gives his best performance since Groundhog Day and Scarlett Johansson gives her 2nd best (Ghost World can't be topped in my book). This movie is so hard to explain in a few words. It's more of a feeling. I can't begin to describe it but it's number 1 so watch it now. You'll want to visit Japan and do karaoke after watching this.
#5 - 180 South
This one was just released and is available on instant view with Netflix. It's a documentary about a guys journey from southern California to Patagonia, Chile. He takes a sail boat all the way down there to climb the legendary Mount Fitzroy. There are some seriously beautiful shots in this film and the soundtrack was written by The Shins which really adds. A serious must for any adventure lover.
#4 The Art Of Travel
This is a small little movie that probably not a lot of people have seen. It's about this guy who drops everything in his life and jumps on a plane to Central America. Along the way he meets some interesting people and has an incredible journey traveling all the way to South America. This is one of those coming of age films but with travel. Although it can be a little rough around the edges (it's low budget), it's still a must for anyone who is stuck in a 9 to 5 job that they hate. Live vicariously through this movie and you'll understand why films like these are so good.
#3 - Vicky Christina Barcelona
I loved this film. I am a huge Woody Allen fan and he blew me away with this one. Sure, this movie might not be "realistic" but isn't that why we travel? To escape realism and find that fantasy? That's why I travel at least. This movie will make you want to visit Spain.
#2 - The Beach
Danny Boyle may be my favorite director but that does not make me biased. This is the ultimate travel movie. Although the second half kills the fantasy aspect of it, I still must recommend this film. It may not be a popular choice, knowing how everyone bags on it, but the locations are beautiful. I love what the main character Richard is all about and how he describes most tourists - people who travel far far away to sit in their comfy hotels and watch reruns of American television. Watch it!
#1 - Lost In Translation
I wish I could have amnesia for this film so I could relive the first time I watched it over and over again. This film is a masterpiece. If you haven't seen this film...GO OUT AND BUY IT NOW! And buy it on Blu-Ray. Buy yourself some Asahi, get some sushi and turn this thing on. Bill Murray gives his best performance since Groundhog Day and Scarlett Johansson gives her 2nd best (Ghost World can't be topped in my book). This movie is so hard to explain in a few words. It's more of a feeling. I can't begin to describe it but it's number 1 so watch it now. You'll want to visit Japan and do karaoke after watching this.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Pros and Cons: Alaska
What a great time we had up in Alaska. If you are currently stressed and in need of some serious unwinding then Alaska might be the place for you. Below I've listed pros and cons of the state to help anyone out there decide if it's the place to travel next.
Pros:
1. Nature: Yes, you've seen loads of photos of the place but they don't do justice. You can't even understand a fraction of it until you've actually seen it. Alaska has everything a nature lover would want. I saw glaciers, moose, reindeer, gigantic ice capped mountains, turquoise lakes, black sand beaches and waterfalls. The moment you enter this place you will feel at ease and all those little worries you have will take a back seat.
2. Adventure: Whitewater rafting, skiing/snowboarding, hiking, atv's, horseback riding, dog sledding, kayaking...pretty much think of it and it's there.
3. Beer: Alaskans know their beer. Alaska is a beer drinking state. I was in heaven with the Alaskan Amber.
4. Food: You like seafood? Good, because this place is the home of salmon, halibut and snow crabs just to name a few. Try going to a restaurant in downtown Anchorage called Humpys. The blackened halibut was the BEST halibut I've ever had.
5. No tax: Not much else to explain with this one. No tax rules!
6. Coffee: Anchorage is saturated with all these little drive-thru coffee shacks. I love it. Everywhere you turn you will see a 6 by 6 shack with a sign that says "Expresso."
7. Summer: The sun sets at 11:45 pm and rises 4 hours later. It never gets completely dark either. Besides the coolness factor of that, it also gives you a lot more time to do outdoor activities. One day we decided to go on a 3 hour hike up a mountain. We started around 7 pm!
Cons:
1. Outdoor Activities: Maybe it was because I was there in tourist season but every activity was very expensive. There was a 4 hour boat ride where you get an opportunity to see whales. The price was $160. I'm sorry but I don't have that kind of money. There was a 4 hour kayak adventure that was easily over $100. Whitewater rafting ranges from $70-$200, which isn't that all bad. Forget about airplane tours being cheap.
2. Distance: DO NOT go to Alaska unless you have a car or some kind of reliable transportation. We were there for 9 days and we put 1200 miles on our rental car. Everything is far away. We went with Budget rental car and got a Nissan Sentra for $370 for a week. Make sure that you get unlimited miles on your car rental or you are screwed. Also note that gas is considerably more expensive there...like maybe a dollar more than what you are probably paying now. Odd since they seem to have a lot of the oil up there.
3. Food: Unless you are going to be eating McDonalds everyday, expect to spend more on food. The food is good but it became pretty common for a single meal to cost $25. There might not be tax but the expensiveness makes up for it.
4. Winter: The lack of daylight really can get depressing. The northern lights might be the only positive to going in the winter.
The pros outweigh the cons by far but at least now you might have a better understanding on what to expect. Thanks for reading and I hope you check Alaska out!
Pros:
1. Nature: Yes, you've seen loads of photos of the place but they don't do justice. You can't even understand a fraction of it until you've actually seen it. Alaska has everything a nature lover would want. I saw glaciers, moose, reindeer, gigantic ice capped mountains, turquoise lakes, black sand beaches and waterfalls. The moment you enter this place you will feel at ease and all those little worries you have will take a back seat.
2. Adventure: Whitewater rafting, skiing/snowboarding, hiking, atv's, horseback riding, dog sledding, kayaking...pretty much think of it and it's there.
3. Beer: Alaskans know their beer. Alaska is a beer drinking state. I was in heaven with the Alaskan Amber.
4. Food: You like seafood? Good, because this place is the home of salmon, halibut and snow crabs just to name a few. Try going to a restaurant in downtown Anchorage called Humpys. The blackened halibut was the BEST halibut I've ever had.
5. No tax: Not much else to explain with this one. No tax rules!
6. Coffee: Anchorage is saturated with all these little drive-thru coffee shacks. I love it. Everywhere you turn you will see a 6 by 6 shack with a sign that says "Expresso."
7. Summer: The sun sets at 11:45 pm and rises 4 hours later. It never gets completely dark either. Besides the coolness factor of that, it also gives you a lot more time to do outdoor activities. One day we decided to go on a 3 hour hike up a mountain. We started around 7 pm!
Cons:
1. Outdoor Activities: Maybe it was because I was there in tourist season but every activity was very expensive. There was a 4 hour boat ride where you get an opportunity to see whales. The price was $160. I'm sorry but I don't have that kind of money. There was a 4 hour kayak adventure that was easily over $100. Whitewater rafting ranges from $70-$200, which isn't that all bad. Forget about airplane tours being cheap.
2. Distance: DO NOT go to Alaska unless you have a car or some kind of reliable transportation. We were there for 9 days and we put 1200 miles on our rental car. Everything is far away. We went with Budget rental car and got a Nissan Sentra for $370 for a week. Make sure that you get unlimited miles on your car rental or you are screwed. Also note that gas is considerably more expensive there...like maybe a dollar more than what you are probably paying now. Odd since they seem to have a lot of the oil up there.
3. Food: Unless you are going to be eating McDonalds everyday, expect to spend more on food. The food is good but it became pretty common for a single meal to cost $25. There might not be tax but the expensiveness makes up for it.
4. Winter: The lack of daylight really can get depressing. The northern lights might be the only positive to going in the winter.
The pros outweigh the cons by far but at least now you might have a better understanding on what to expect. Thanks for reading and I hope you check Alaska out!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Seward, Alaska
When you make it to Alaska you must venture south to a town called Seward. This place looks right out of The Lord Of The Rings! Sky scraping mountains with snow covered tops, turbulant white caps unleashing on top of bright blue waters are just the first destination. About 10 miles north lies Exit Glacier, a sight you must behold. The surrounding area of the glacier is a forest in it's infancy, grayish rivers with black sand and quite possibly bear or moose.
It's in places like these where you are so inspired that the weight of the world vanishes. All those trivial worries are gone as you stand in a land carved by glaciers. It really puts things into perspective - I'm alive and right now everything is good. It makes you really forget about the rat race and all that pointless office drama. When it comes down to it, we are just animals who play games like status and success. Enjoy the real things in life.
On another note while at the glacier, I heard this 20 something tour guide talk to a family about her routine. She basically said that she wasn't sure what career to go after so in the meantime she was traveling and doing things she always wanted. I think it's a great thing to admit that you're lost. We are all lost. Embrace it and do things that you wouldn't normally do. I can't stand it when people are too proud to admit that they are lost. They are so obsessed with keeping that image that they will sacrifice their life in the attempt to impress others. It's all a waste of time. Don't stay in that job if it's solely for status. Everybody with that success 24/7 mindset is too self involved to care about your accomplishments.
When are you going to drop it all and buy that plane ticket?
It's in places like these where you are so inspired that the weight of the world vanishes. All those trivial worries are gone as you stand in a land carved by glaciers. It really puts things into perspective - I'm alive and right now everything is good. It makes you really forget about the rat race and all that pointless office drama. When it comes down to it, we are just animals who play games like status and success. Enjoy the real things in life.
On another note while at the glacier, I heard this 20 something tour guide talk to a family about her routine. She basically said that she wasn't sure what career to go after so in the meantime she was traveling and doing things she always wanted. I think it's a great thing to admit that you're lost. We are all lost. Embrace it and do things that you wouldn't normally do. I can't stand it when people are too proud to admit that they are lost. They are so obsessed with keeping that image that they will sacrifice their life in the attempt to impress others. It's all a waste of time. Don't stay in that job if it's solely for status. Everybody with that success 24/7 mindset is too self involved to care about your accomplishments.
When are you going to drop it all and buy that plane ticket?
Friday, June 11, 2010
Failure
So in these last few months I've had to come to terms that I failed with getting my first film off the ground. It's hard to admit defeat. It bruises the ego. They won, you lost and things didn't go according to plan. For me this is my first real failure. It has completely changed my life. Blind, arrogant confidence has been beaten into a coma. Now I realize how much of myself was taken away with this.
I feel like a house that has been destroyed. As I start to rebuild I'm coming to a crossroad. Do I rebuild the same house? Was I really happy in that house? Not so much. But how do I build a new person? I feel like this is the ultimate stray from the comfort zone. I hid inside that shell of wanting to be the best for so long that I don't know anything else. But that self is gone. The fuel for it drained out the moment it met failure...more like reality.
Maybe it's all for good reason. Maybe I'll ultimately become a better, happier person. New skin. Maybe I'm fortunate that it happened now than later in my twilight years. All I know is that this is the toughest and strangest moment in my life. It's a daily occurance that I'm conflicted on which direction to go towards. Hopefully I can build a new life that will be more beneficial to everyone. It would be tragic if I wasn't strong enough and reverted back to my old ways.
If there is someone out there who is going through this, stay strong. Don't get lost down the empty path that television blasts at us everyday. What you see is not real, it's just flashing lights. It's gone when you turn off the power. After you turn it off you will be alone again. Lost in your thoughts and lost in the world. Search for the answers. Search long and hard. Don't settle on the past. There is a bright future somewhere out there.
Maybe failure is the catalyst for rebirth. I hope all of us lost folks can find a better state of mind. It starts today...
I feel like a house that has been destroyed. As I start to rebuild I'm coming to a crossroad. Do I rebuild the same house? Was I really happy in that house? Not so much. But how do I build a new person? I feel like this is the ultimate stray from the comfort zone. I hid inside that shell of wanting to be the best for so long that I don't know anything else. But that self is gone. The fuel for it drained out the moment it met failure...more like reality.
Maybe it's all for good reason. Maybe I'll ultimately become a better, happier person. New skin. Maybe I'm fortunate that it happened now than later in my twilight years. All I know is that this is the toughest and strangest moment in my life. It's a daily occurance that I'm conflicted on which direction to go towards. Hopefully I can build a new life that will be more beneficial to everyone. It would be tragic if I wasn't strong enough and reverted back to my old ways.
If there is someone out there who is going through this, stay strong. Don't get lost down the empty path that television blasts at us everyday. What you see is not real, it's just flashing lights. It's gone when you turn off the power. After you turn it off you will be alone again. Lost in your thoughts and lost in the world. Search for the answers. Search long and hard. Don't settle on the past. There is a bright future somewhere out there.
Maybe failure is the catalyst for rebirth. I hope all of us lost folks can find a better state of mind. It starts today...
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Hello from Alaska
Here in Anchorage. What an amazing place. I feel like this is the New Zealand of the north. The mountains scrape the sky here, they make the rockies look like Kansas. On day three and it hasn't gotten dark yet. We are twelve days from the summer solstice and in the summer it stays light out all day. It's very confusing when it's 11:30 at night and it's sunny. I figure I won't see night until I leave in a week.
Started shooting Gap Year - Alaska. My sister Brigite and our friend Laura are in it. They are still getting used to the camera. I told them it takes a few days. That's about how long it took for Peter in GY - Cross Country. Hopefully they'll be able to open up.
Here is my checklist for Alaska:
-Hike up a mountain
-Whitewater rafting
-See a moose (check)
-See a bear
-See a glacier (check)
-Eat local seafood (check)
-Be inspired (Checked that off before I even landed. When you fly to Alaska make sure you get a window seat...seriously awe inspiring.)
Also, Alaska has amazing beer. They don't play around here. For lunch I had blacken halibut and an Alaskan Amber, it was orgasmic. Will update more within the week.
Thinking of going somewhere but can't pull the trigger? Just do it. In my experiences it's always been worth it. Pulling the trigger on Alaska was worth it.
Started shooting Gap Year - Alaska. My sister Brigite and our friend Laura are in it. They are still getting used to the camera. I told them it takes a few days. That's about how long it took for Peter in GY - Cross Country. Hopefully they'll be able to open up.
Here is my checklist for Alaska:
-Hike up a mountain
-Whitewater rafting
-See a moose (check)
-See a bear
-See a glacier (check)
-Eat local seafood (check)
-Be inspired (Checked that off before I even landed. When you fly to Alaska make sure you get a window seat...seriously awe inspiring.)
Also, Alaska has amazing beer. They don't play around here. For lunch I had blacken halibut and an Alaskan Amber, it was orgasmic. Will update more within the week.
Thinking of going somewhere but can't pull the trigger? Just do it. In my experiences it's always been worth it. Pulling the trigger on Alaska was worth it.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Vacation time.
Someone was just telling me about a job offer. They were excited and said that you get a day and a half of vacation time every month. Oh goody! If I work for a year I can have off 18 days! Amazing!!! Wait a minute...18 days is barely enough to travel abroad on and I'm positive the job doesn't want you taking it all at once. After I said that I heard..."that's just how it is..."
Does it have to be? Is there a loop hole? As far a I'm concerned the only way to escape the system is to own your own business. 18 days off? That's the funniest thing I've heard all week. Life is short..18 out of 365 days a year is 4.9% of vacation time a year. Here is a sad statistic. If we were to work 40 more years that would equal 14,600 days. If we were to follow this "great" 4.9% vacation time plan we would have 720 days off. 720 days off adds up to just under 2 years. So you're telling me for every 40 years I work I get 2 years off? Hmmm...where do I sign up? If you can't sense the sarcasm I'm sorry.
Here's another sad stat. I've been out of a regular, consistent job for 6 months now. I'm still working but it's temporary jobs that last over a week or two. Here is the sad fact. Basically I've had off 182 days since the film job ended. That equals 10 years vacation time if I was at a job with 18 days off a year. Completely mental! So basically I've had more time off in 6 months than some poor guy will have in 10 years! Let me tell you that these last 6 months have been great but jeez this is what 10 years can accrue?
This is why it is so important to do what you love. All of the above doesn't matter if you love your job. The sad truth is that it's very possible that we will only have 5% of vacation time in our life. Don't be miserable for 95% of it. Even if the job you hate makes you tons of cash, it's not worth it. I've seen way too many of these 60 year olds burned out with this used up look on their face. It's a sad sight. They'll never get those 40 years back again. Some of them are too proud to show regret but the honest ones always say to me with this painful look "go to New Zealand..."
Does it have to be? Is there a loop hole? As far a I'm concerned the only way to escape the system is to own your own business. 18 days off? That's the funniest thing I've heard all week. Life is short..18 out of 365 days a year is 4.9% of vacation time a year. Here is a sad statistic. If we were to work 40 more years that would equal 14,600 days. If we were to follow this "great" 4.9% vacation time plan we would have 720 days off. 720 days off adds up to just under 2 years. So you're telling me for every 40 years I work I get 2 years off? Hmmm...where do I sign up? If you can't sense the sarcasm I'm sorry.
Here's another sad stat. I've been out of a regular, consistent job for 6 months now. I'm still working but it's temporary jobs that last over a week or two. Here is the sad fact. Basically I've had off 182 days since the film job ended. That equals 10 years vacation time if I was at a job with 18 days off a year. Completely mental! So basically I've had more time off in 6 months than some poor guy will have in 10 years! Let me tell you that these last 6 months have been great but jeez this is what 10 years can accrue?
This is why it is so important to do what you love. All of the above doesn't matter if you love your job. The sad truth is that it's very possible that we will only have 5% of vacation time in our life. Don't be miserable for 95% of it. Even if the job you hate makes you tons of cash, it's not worth it. I've seen way too many of these 60 year olds burned out with this used up look on their face. It's a sad sight. They'll never get those 40 years back again. Some of them are too proud to show regret but the honest ones always say to me with this painful look "go to New Zealand..."
Sunday, June 6, 2010
2 decisions, 1 cup
In one of those indecisive modes again. Is it night? Check. Read my earlier blog about Day and Night to understand more about how the time of day can affect our mindsets.
I keep going back in forth about my priorities. I've always wanted to be a filmmaker/musician all my life. It's only recently that I've become obsessed with travel. So, when I see a super awesome movie or hear a super rad band it only pushes me back into that direction. When I watch the travel channel or research New Zealand, it pushes me back in the travel direction. I had been working out in Los Angeles for nearly 4 years in the film industry before my movie deal fell through. At that time I was certainly burnt out and discouraged. Traveling made sense at the time. Now that I am refreshed, I have that drive, that burning desire to make films and music again. But would it be a mistake to go back to LA so soon and start all over? Should I choose New Zealand because film will always be there? After all, living abroad is the more delicate dream. That's what I keep telling myself at least.
There will always be doubts but I feel that we have to make a decision. I can't keep floundering around about this. It is time to move forward and get on with it. I miss Los Angeles terribly but as much doubt I can get about New Zealand, deep down I know that it's as close to a once in a lifetime opportunity as you can get. Going to outer space might be in the same ballpark. I have taken a step forward by obtaining my New Zealand work visa. Every decision feels great and hurts at the same time because obviously I'm still heading in two directions.
Going to Alaska tomorrow. Random, I know. Alaska should be massively epic and maybe it will help point me in the right direction. I'll be shooting the next installment of Gap Year there with nice friends who are letting my sister and I stay up there. If you haven't seen the first episode of Gap Year it is here. Stay positive.
I keep going back in forth about my priorities. I've always wanted to be a filmmaker/musician all my life. It's only recently that I've become obsessed with travel. So, when I see a super awesome movie or hear a super rad band it only pushes me back into that direction. When I watch the travel channel or research New Zealand, it pushes me back in the travel direction. I had been working out in Los Angeles for nearly 4 years in the film industry before my movie deal fell through. At that time I was certainly burnt out and discouraged. Traveling made sense at the time. Now that I am refreshed, I have that drive, that burning desire to make films and music again. But would it be a mistake to go back to LA so soon and start all over? Should I choose New Zealand because film will always be there? After all, living abroad is the more delicate dream. That's what I keep telling myself at least.
There will always be doubts but I feel that we have to make a decision. I can't keep floundering around about this. It is time to move forward and get on with it. I miss Los Angeles terribly but as much doubt I can get about New Zealand, deep down I know that it's as close to a once in a lifetime opportunity as you can get. Going to outer space might be in the same ballpark. I have taken a step forward by obtaining my New Zealand work visa. Every decision feels great and hurts at the same time because obviously I'm still heading in two directions.
Going to Alaska tomorrow. Random, I know. Alaska should be massively epic and maybe it will help point me in the right direction. I'll be shooting the next installment of Gap Year there with nice friends who are letting my sister and I stay up there. If you haven't seen the first episode of Gap Year it is here. Stay positive.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Adjusting to "The Real World"
Feeling lost? Maybe you just graduated school and don't know where to go from here. Maybe you lay in your bed at night thinking about the future. Don't sweat it because you aren't the only one. This is a stage in life. It's not a stage they tell you about though. The structure of life that we knew is gone. Think about it...ever since you can remember you have probably been in school where your main priority was to make good grades. You had people around you telling you to study. Your teachers gave you tests and graded you. Now that that's gone you feel lost.
It makes sense too. Think about this...you are so used to people teaching you, testing you and basically giving you attention. School = attention. Now that you're in the "real world" there is no one giving you attention outside of close ones. Jobs aren't going to test you...if you screw up you are gone. The real transition is getting used to not being the consumer anymore. You are the product now. That's the real world.
So this probably leads a lot of us twenty somethings to a stage of depression. We don't have anyone waiting on us anymore. I've noticed that a lot of people can't cope with it and decide to go back to college. I'm all for getting as much as an education as you can but make sure you're not staying in college to avoid becoming a product of this world. It's pretty much unavoidable but it's not a bad thing. It's another stage that we all will get through in time. The goal is to find something that you love that can sustain you. Be the product that you love and don't lose sleep over trying to figure it out. It will come to you. And always remember these "lost" times will be one of those things that we all will look back on and laugh at.
P.S. - If you have kids please don't give them a hard time when they are "lost" in their twenties. Remember when you were there too...and let them try living in New Zealand if they want...they'll find their way.
It makes sense too. Think about this...you are so used to people teaching you, testing you and basically giving you attention. School = attention. Now that you're in the "real world" there is no one giving you attention outside of close ones. Jobs aren't going to test you...if you screw up you are gone. The real transition is getting used to not being the consumer anymore. You are the product now. That's the real world.
So this probably leads a lot of us twenty somethings to a stage of depression. We don't have anyone waiting on us anymore. I've noticed that a lot of people can't cope with it and decide to go back to college. I'm all for getting as much as an education as you can but make sure you're not staying in college to avoid becoming a product of this world. It's pretty much unavoidable but it's not a bad thing. It's another stage that we all will get through in time. The goal is to find something that you love that can sustain you. Be the product that you love and don't lose sleep over trying to figure it out. It will come to you. And always remember these "lost" times will be one of those things that we all will look back on and laugh at.
P.S. - If you have kids please don't give them a hard time when they are "lost" in their twenties. Remember when you were there too...and let them try living in New Zealand if they want...they'll find their way.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Lame People
In a pretty bad mood right now. As I wait and save up for my move to New Zealand I'm constantly reminded why I left northern Virginia in the first place. So many people here complain about it being boring yet all they do on the weekends is drink a shitload, smoke like a chimney and sleep in till late in the afternoon. These are what I call "Lame People". This is the schedule they follow...
Monday: Work, leave cliche "i hate work/mondays" facebook status
Tuesday: Work
Wednesday: Work, facebook status "is this week over yet??"
Thursday: Work
Friday: Work, "tgif" facebook status, get wasted, pass out
Saturday: Wake up around 1 pm, leave facebook status about being "hung over", get wasted, pass out
Sunday: Repeat Saturdays actions, leave facebook status about dreading the coming week
Then when that gets old they will realize that they better "settle down" and get married. So getting wasted is what you did with your "crazy" years? Living on the edge! Whoa...what crazy stories you can boast about when you're old and stuck in your "golden years". How about trying something different than the same crap. What I find ridiculous is that we have a great city about 15-20 minutes away from us. Washington, DC has some great places. And don't tell me you can't afford it...you're spending more on a 24 pack of shit light beer than the free museums you could be visiting.
These people who complain and complain about how things suck will never do anything about it. As much as they complain, they are too afraid to leave their comfort zones. You may even find that some of these people don't even complain anymore...they've just accepted life. These people are even more lame. Lame 2.0 people. I know it may come off harsh but don't spend a lot of time with these people, they will not help you find new and interesting things. They will only lead you to a keg of Natural light and a future of lame stories to look back on.
Monday: Work, leave cliche "i hate work/mondays" facebook status
Tuesday: Work
Wednesday: Work, facebook status "is this week over yet??"
Thursday: Work
Friday: Work, "tgif" facebook status, get wasted, pass out
Saturday: Wake up around 1 pm, leave facebook status about being "hung over", get wasted, pass out
Sunday: Repeat Saturdays actions, leave facebook status about dreading the coming week
Then when that gets old they will realize that they better "settle down" and get married. So getting wasted is what you did with your "crazy" years? Living on the edge! Whoa...what crazy stories you can boast about when you're old and stuck in your "golden years". How about trying something different than the same crap. What I find ridiculous is that we have a great city about 15-20 minutes away from us. Washington, DC has some great places. And don't tell me you can't afford it...you're spending more on a 24 pack of shit light beer than the free museums you could be visiting.
These people who complain and complain about how things suck will never do anything about it. As much as they complain, they are too afraid to leave their comfort zones. You may even find that some of these people don't even complain anymore...they've just accepted life. These people are even more lame. Lame 2.0 people. I know it may come off harsh but don't spend a lot of time with these people, they will not help you find new and interesting things. They will only lead you to a keg of Natural light and a future of lame stories to look back on.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Beach = Truth Serum
Am I the only one who is sick of television cramming down the same message over and over? The message I keep seeing is one of money, fame and power. It's like they tease us with these commercials where money seems to be solving everyone's problems. I know it's to sell a product but it really has a huge influence on our culture. No wonder it's socially unacceptable to leave your job to pursue a goal that won't make you loads of cash. Everyone's been so brainwashed that they can't fathom doing something huge without the reward of riches.
Everyday we are influenced by different things but how are we ever going to figure out what we really want? I'm a very impulsive person so these things are bad for me. I find that I can only think clearly when I'm alone in nature. There are no distractions. There is nobody judging me, influencing my decisions...there is no tv influencing me with commercials of hot girls and sports cars...it's just me. Whenever I go to the beach life seems so much more clear. The beach to me is a truth serum. When I'm there, I know what I want to do and I'm at peace.
If you have the same things going on, try going off alone somewhere with no distractions. I'd bring a piece of paper and write something down. Find your voice, not society's. Write what you want on that paper and then hold on to it. When you start getting down because you might not be on the fast track to fame and fortune pull that paper out and remember your voice.
Everyday we are influenced by different things but how are we ever going to figure out what we really want? I'm a very impulsive person so these things are bad for me. I find that I can only think clearly when I'm alone in nature. There are no distractions. There is nobody judging me, influencing my decisions...there is no tv influencing me with commercials of hot girls and sports cars...it's just me. Whenever I go to the beach life seems so much more clear. The beach to me is a truth serum. When I'm there, I know what I want to do and I'm at peace.
If you have the same things going on, try going off alone somewhere with no distractions. I'd bring a piece of paper and write something down. Find your voice, not society's. Write what you want on that paper and then hold on to it. When you start getting down because you might not be on the fast track to fame and fortune pull that paper out and remember your voice.
Monday, May 31, 2010
My Robot Theory
I have a new idea for the "system"...
What if we all received one robot. Everybody's robot was basically their slave who worked for free and brought them money. So you have a robot that stays in an office and completes mundane tasks. It gets paid whatever an hour and that's how much you make. You don't have to work, the robot does. The amount of upgrades you put in your robot determines if you can get a promotion and make more money. (There are a lot of upgrades so it takes years to get to a LEVEL 2 robot.)
There could still be classes. Young people start off with level 1 robots that do shit work..most middle aged people have developed their robots into level 2 bots by this time and make $40-100k a year. Then there are the people who lived poor for awhile, just upgrading their robots to level 3 bots (decades of upgrades). These people are the rich ones. There are also older people who spent their money when they were young and never put any upgrades in their robot. These people would probably be the lower class but even so it's not like they are working...the robots are doing it all. It works like our system now does except one big change... everyone's not really working so it's good times for everybody.
I'll call it Robotism. Can't wait for it to get mainstream with the two parties and then there will be Roboticrats and Robopilicans.
Of course this eventually leads to the hollywood robot uprising cliche but hey...it could be fun!
If I were in charge...
What if we all received one robot. Everybody's robot was basically their slave who worked for free and brought them money. So you have a robot that stays in an office and completes mundane tasks. It gets paid whatever an hour and that's how much you make. You don't have to work, the robot does. The amount of upgrades you put in your robot determines if you can get a promotion and make more money. (There are a lot of upgrades so it takes years to get to a LEVEL 2 robot.)
There could still be classes. Young people start off with level 1 robots that do shit work..most middle aged people have developed their robots into level 2 bots by this time and make $40-100k a year. Then there are the people who lived poor for awhile, just upgrading their robots to level 3 bots (decades of upgrades). These people are the rich ones. There are also older people who spent their money when they were young and never put any upgrades in their robot. These people would probably be the lower class but even so it's not like they are working...the robots are doing it all. It works like our system now does except one big change... everyone's not really working so it's good times for everybody.
I'll call it Robotism. Can't wait for it to get mainstream with the two parties and then there will be Roboticrats and Robopilicans.
Of course this eventually leads to the hollywood robot uprising cliche but hey...it could be fun!
If I were in charge...
Day and Night
I have noticed a pattern in my mind process. When I first wake up in the morning I usually have a very strong mindset on things. Second guessing myself and anxiety almost always occurs at night.
Is it the lack of distractions that cause this at night? I'm not sure exactly. Usually my mornings are more simplistic than my evenings. Is it the idea of starting a brand new day that blocks the anxiety with hope? I always hear about people tossing and turning in their sleep, never in the morning.
If you are like me and have this cycle of optimistic mornings and pessimistic evenings then I have a few remedies for you.
1. Do what you do in the morning at night. Switch up your routine. If you always go to bed watching tv, read a book instead. Change is always good.
2. If you are thinking of moving somewhere but keep second guessing it, try watching video of your dream place. When I second guess going to New Zealand I often go on youtube or vimeo and search out inspiring clips of it. It immediately makes me feel better.
3. Hang out with other people who support you. Anyone who is bringing you down is not your friend...simple as that.
4. Change your soundtrack. I love depressing music but it can quickly take me to a dark place. If I find myself going to the dark side I have a few albums that can get me out quick. If you have a more optimistic soundtrack in your life, your life will be more optimistic.
5. Just do it. In the case of traveling or anything really...just do it. We often find ourselves in this state of hesitation and it really has no purpose. Back when I was in that job I wasn't sure about asking time off and going to Australia. I spent a few weeks going back in forth until I finally just did it. I bought the plane ticket and pissed off my boss but whatever. It felt great to take a step further.
Is it the lack of distractions that cause this at night? I'm not sure exactly. Usually my mornings are more simplistic than my evenings. Is it the idea of starting a brand new day that blocks the anxiety with hope? I always hear about people tossing and turning in their sleep, never in the morning.
If you are like me and have this cycle of optimistic mornings and pessimistic evenings then I have a few remedies for you.
1. Do what you do in the morning at night. Switch up your routine. If you always go to bed watching tv, read a book instead. Change is always good.
2. If you are thinking of moving somewhere but keep second guessing it, try watching video of your dream place. When I second guess going to New Zealand I often go on youtube or vimeo and search out inspiring clips of it. It immediately makes me feel better.
3. Hang out with other people who support you. Anyone who is bringing you down is not your friend...simple as that.
4. Change your soundtrack. I love depressing music but it can quickly take me to a dark place. If I find myself going to the dark side I have a few albums that can get me out quick. If you have a more optimistic soundtrack in your life, your life will be more optimistic.
5. Just do it. In the case of traveling or anything really...just do it. We often find ourselves in this state of hesitation and it really has no purpose. Back when I was in that job I wasn't sure about asking time off and going to Australia. I spent a few weeks going back in forth until I finally just did it. I bought the plane ticket and pissed off my boss but whatever. It felt great to take a step further.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
"Then What?"
"Then What?"
It's what I've been hearing since I've started telling people that I was going to move to New Zealand. It's almost comical now. Their responses might as well be in a robot voice...it's all the same.
Me - "I'm going to New Zealand."
Them - "Why?"
Me - "Why not?"
Them - "What are you going to do there?"
Me- "Travel around the country, work odd jobs and have a good time."
Them - "Then what? Then what are you going to do?"
I'm sure a lot of you have had this conversation before. I've had people tell me that I shouldn't go over there because I'd be "spinning my wheels". Spinning my wheels? What the hell are we doing at a job we hate for years and years? Making money for the future? Saving towards retirement? What we'd be saving for is something we can do right now. The problem is that our society wants us to rush into a career so fast that we never get the chance to figure out what we really want to do. There is a common fear for not having a plan. Ask anyone who's older and they'll say that things didn't go according to plan. I say embrace the fear and take your time. You can always make money...you might not always be free and have no commitments.
I try to remind myself that one day I'm going to die. It motivates me to do things that I might not do in my comfort zone. When people forget that they are mortal it makes it easier to settle in mediocrity and forget about dreams and passions. Think of dreams like you would another life. There are some dreams that can die pretty quickly. How about one like living in a foreign country? New Zealand's working holiday visa age limit is 30 years old. There are probably ways to get around this but what if you have a family, debt, job or a lease? It's pretty easy to kill that dream.
The next time someone says "then what?" just reply with the same question about their "plan". Then when they respond with their usual banter send them to this blog.
What are your dreams and are they living or dying?
It's what I've been hearing since I've started telling people that I was going to move to New Zealand. It's almost comical now. Their responses might as well be in a robot voice...it's all the same.
Me - "I'm going to New Zealand."
Them - "Why?"
Me - "Why not?"
Them - "What are you going to do there?"
Me- "Travel around the country, work odd jobs and have a good time."
Them - "Then what? Then what are you going to do?"
I'm sure a lot of you have had this conversation before. I've had people tell me that I shouldn't go over there because I'd be "spinning my wheels". Spinning my wheels? What the hell are we doing at a job we hate for years and years? Making money for the future? Saving towards retirement? What we'd be saving for is something we can do right now. The problem is that our society wants us to rush into a career so fast that we never get the chance to figure out what we really want to do. There is a common fear for not having a plan. Ask anyone who's older and they'll say that things didn't go according to plan. I say embrace the fear and take your time. You can always make money...you might not always be free and have no commitments.
I try to remind myself that one day I'm going to die. It motivates me to do things that I might not do in my comfort zone. When people forget that they are mortal it makes it easier to settle in mediocrity and forget about dreams and passions. Think of dreams like you would another life. There are some dreams that can die pretty quickly. How about one like living in a foreign country? New Zealand's working holiday visa age limit is 30 years old. There are probably ways to get around this but what if you have a family, debt, job or a lease? It's pretty easy to kill that dream.
The next time someone says "then what?" just reply with the same question about their "plan". Then when they respond with their usual banter send them to this blog.
What are your dreams and are they living or dying?
Back story
So here is the gist...
I grew up outside of Washington, DC in a place called Fairfax. After high school I went to film school and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue film. I worked there for nearly 4 years and even had a film deal with a production company. The truth was that I was miserable working at this production company and was depressed that I had no free time anymore. Two day weekends year in and year out with the occasional week off. Two weeks of vacation a year is ridiculous and I never want to have that again.
So eventually the film fell through and so did the job at the production company. After that I literally had nothing. Everything I built had vanished and honestly I felt afraid but more surprisingly excited. My last day at work I left and went straight to the airport and flew to Sydney, Australia. I was there for nearly 3 weeks and had an incredible time. When I came back to Los Angeles I thought long and hard and decided that I couldn't waste the remaining 5 years of my 20's doing this. I packed all my stuff in my car and decided to drive across country back home to figure things out. My friend Peter, who was going through the exact same thing, decided to join me on the drive.
This is where this cross country documentary comes into play...
I grew up outside of Washington, DC in a place called Fairfax. After high school I went to film school and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue film. I worked there for nearly 4 years and even had a film deal with a production company. The truth was that I was miserable working at this production company and was depressed that I had no free time anymore. Two day weekends year in and year out with the occasional week off. Two weeks of vacation a year is ridiculous and I never want to have that again.
So eventually the film fell through and so did the job at the production company. After that I literally had nothing. Everything I built had vanished and honestly I felt afraid but more surprisingly excited. My last day at work I left and went straight to the airport and flew to Sydney, Australia. I was there for nearly 3 weeks and had an incredible time. When I came back to Los Angeles I thought long and hard and decided that I couldn't waste the remaining 5 years of my 20's doing this. I packed all my stuff in my car and decided to drive across country back home to figure things out. My friend Peter, who was going through the exact same thing, decided to join me on the drive.
This is where this cross country documentary comes into play...
Gap Year: Cross Country Roadtrip from Brett Line on Vimeo.
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