I have been wanting to start this blog for a long time and finally it begins, in a coffee shop in Moscow, Idaho. I will be writing about travel and a miscellany of other musings.
This is the first day of what will probably be an important experience in shaping the next phase of my life. For the next month I am travelling around America (Idaho and New York City) and Canada (British Columbia). I am visiting some very special friends, skiing, exploring, shopping and also deciding where I want to do my postgraduate study, where I want to travel and what I want to do in the next 5 or so years.
What do I do?
So at the moment I'm on summer break after my second year of a Communication degree, major in Marketing Comms and minor in Media studies. It was always going to be a compromise between my love for English, literature, writing, creativity and the social sciences and the probabilities of getting a paying job after graduating. However I really like the flexibility of taking classes in linguistics, media relations, film and television, writing, marketing theory, business and consumer behaviour.
My current plan is to get a graduate qualification specialising in advertising, an industry I would love to get into. Although I have a healthy dislike for capitalism and the subsequent consumer society, it's the world we live in and it doesn't look like changing. Advertising is a powerful force in shaping our desires, tastes, ideals and expectations, not just selling the things we want to buy. It's not just selling commodities, it's 'selling us ourselves'. Advertising and other mass media has the potential to change ideas, challenge perceptions, start and stop trends, and create and disseminate ideologies. I like campaigns like Toscani's United Colours of Benetton, Abslolut appropriation and postmodernism, the Cadbury gorilla which went viral in New Zealand - things that people remember because they were interesting, relevant and thought-provoking. I want to make those kinds of ads. I want to make people stop and think, take a second look, dwell on a thought previously dismissed as socially unacceptable.
My media and cultural studies background, personal beliefs and experiences have led me to atheism, feminism, postmodernism and general open-mindedness. I am what some would call a sex-positive third wave feminist, but I'll talk about that more later. At the moment I'm reading Germaine Greer's definitive feminist book, The Female Eunuch. I'll let you know how it goes!
As a child I loved horses, and I never really grew out of that phase. I am very fortunate to have been involved with horses from a young age, and having one of my own for the last 8 years. I have competed extensively and with varying success in showjumping, eventing, dressage, mounted games, team events, hunter showing, show hunter and pony club. It's a big part of who I am and something I have sacrificed a huge amount of time and money for - it's not a hobby, it's a 24/7 lifestyle. My current horse has been my number one girl for the last 4 years and the cause of much stress, jubilation, poverty, sadness, love, enjoyment and escape. At this point in my life I am faced with the difficult decision of selling her to someone who can give her the time she needs, isn't about to take off overseas and has the funding to continue her competitive career. I have a tattoo of a silhouette horse head on my ribcage which is a dedication to Twiggley and every other horse that has been and will be a big part of me. Even if I can't always be directly involved with horses, it's something which I will always find solace and pleasure in.
I have been very fortunate to grow up with parents who love to travel; my first international flight was London (my birthplace) to Melbourne at three months of age. I've been all around New Zealand, to Australia, Singapore, Thailand, India, Canada, the Cook Islands and now the United States. The two trips we took to India in my teenage years changed my life, opened my eyes and gave me new perspectives. I've seen extreme poverty, injustice, homelessness, oppression, pollution, overcrowding and corporate greed. But I've also seen kindness, generosity, curiosity, faith, peacefulness and the beauty of both nature and humanity. I've wandered around ancient forts and hilltop villages, seen the dawn rise over the Taj Mahal, kneeled in front of the Emerald Buddha and slept on the sand in the Goji desert. I have an Om tattooed on my arm because those trips changed my life, and also because I like the Buddhist and Hindu meaning - the eternal hum of all things in the universe, the song of a thousand voices, harmony, the sacred self and inner peace. I'm a big believer in the power not of an omnipresent deity, but the universe itself and the connectedness of all things.
I've caught the travel bug and hate being held back by money, but I got a new passport this year which is valid for the next 5 so my goal is to get as many stamps as I can. So I'm hoping this trip will be the first part of the rest of my life; exploring new places and people, having new experiences and testing myself.
I'll always be a Kiwi at heart, though. I grew up in the peaceful seaside city of New Plymouth, surrounded by dairy farms under Mount Taranaki on the west coast of New Zealand. I love the fresh air, the freedom, good food, animals, native bush, mountains and beaches of my country. It's true that you appreciate it so much more once you have been overseas.
What else? I'm an overachiever, but love to have fun. I have big goals and I strive to achieve them all. I have a small group of very close friends who are supportive, fun and driven. I'm independent, but I love good company and cuddles. I'm very happy in my relationship of about 4 months with someone who constantly inspires, excites, encourages and relaxes me. I like wine and going out dancing. This past year I've become acutely aware of the need to look after oneself mentally as well as physically, being healthy, the importance of lifestyle, the concept of happiness, mindfulness and relaxation. My next tattoo will be a tealight candle with a permanent flame. And perhaps a moorish idol fish, because snorkelling in Rarotonga was an incredible experience which I vow to repeat. It renewed my appreciation for life in all its forms, what nature can create if left alone, colour and texture, the ocean and the feeling of complete peace as you float above the coral. Magical. Hopefully my next trip will be getting my dive licence there, going out past the reef and meeting turtles, sharks and whales. I can't wait.
So that's a basic overview of my life as it currently stands. The following is an account of my travels, maybe interspersed with some of my thoughts on people, society, the world and things in general.
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