Greetings from Australia!

While I wish I could update this blog in real time, I am many weeks ahead of my posts (as Instagram pictures suggest) and can’t wait to detail my latest Aussie travels in due time. But for today I’m excited to check in and debrief 12 weeks into my RTW trip. Without further ado…

ON BALANCING WORK AND “ME” TIME:

Six weeks ago I wrote about my struggle to balance blog work (editing photos is the biggest time suck) and down time. At that point I’d only read two books and watched zero TV episodes. Prior to my trip, these were ways I envisioned unwinding on the road since I rarely have time for books or TV when I’m working in Los Angeles. So I am pleased to report I’m up to 6.5 books and counting! Here are my reads so far:

• The Book of Joe: A Novel by Jonathan Tropper (a hot-shot writer returns to his CT hometown decades after writing a thinly-veiled novel about its residents)
• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (non-fiction; Didion writes about her grief process after losing her husband unexpectedly)
• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (tearjerker told from the perspective of a dog; I cried in public while reading this)
• Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (hysterically compelling story of a woman on the edge of a breakdown; read this NOW)
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver (book one in a dystopian YA trilogy akin to Hunger Games)
• Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (book two in the same trilogy; I’m hooked)
• Requiem by Lauren Oliver (…and I’m currently half-way through book three so I’ll include it here)

Gosh, I’ve missed reading. It’s so fun to get caught up in another world of people, places, and story lines.

(I use Amazon referral links so if you purchase one of the books above I’ll receive a very minor commission. Like, only a few cents, but I should disclose it here.)

And I watched season 1 of Nashville and LOVED it. Does anyone else have a giant crush on Deacon Claybourne? Speak up, I need a support group!

[image via]

Watching this show reminded me why I love TV and especially drama. It ignited my creative energy and I found myself brainstorming ideas for season 2 and contemplating a spec script. Another part of me is inspired to take up songwriting! It’s a reminder that taking time to immerse oneself in art (be it movies, TV, books, music) is a great way to spark imagination and connect the dots in a new way. I’m grateful to have found more time to do this while traveling.

And this just in: I watched season 1 of Sherlock last week and it BLEW MY MIND.

I’ve downloaded season 2 of Sherlock and SMASH, seasons 2 & 3 of Downton Abbey, season 1 of American Horror Story, and seasons 1 & 2 of Scandal. I have a lot to catch up on. If you have any other recommendations for either books or shows, I’d love to hear them!

ON SOCIALIZING:

I’d still like to make socializing more of a priority. I am an introvert by nature so I’m overwhelmed in big groups of people but blossom during one-on-one conversations or in small groups. Hostels have been good for this. I had two really great hostel roommates in Melbourne and two more great ones in Sydney. It’s nice to come “home” at the end of the day and debrief and compare notes with fellow travelers. I still tend to decline trips to the bar at night and would do well to tag along once in awhile to meet more people.

ON FOOD:

I’ve made big improvements on preparing my own food in hostels. Since I’ve stayed for over a week in the same place on a few occasions now, it’s easier to grocery shop, cook, and have leftovers for several dinners in a row. Big time and money saver. I still eat one meal out a day (usually lunch while I’m exploring a neighborhood or working on my laptop in a coffee shop) but then stay in for dinner. I usually chop up veggies and chicken to make a big stir fry dish that lasts for 3 or 4 meals. I’ve also bought deli meat, lettuce, and rolls to make a bag lunch on occasion.

Also, the coffee is a thousand times better in Australia than New Zealand. Praise the Lord.

ON PLANNING:

Oh man, this is what it all comes down to. I can build the best blog content in the world but if I don’t publicize, reach out for sponsorship, and actively use it as a tool to help me travel, then I will burn through my savings very quickly. So I pour a lot of energy into researching tour companies, writing email queries, and crossing my fingers for a response. I feel VERY lucky that most times I hear something back. I have to be proactive about it since I’m essentially self-employed and freelance for this stretch of my life. It’s tricky to balance the timing of it all — there is a window of time where it’s best to reach out for sponsored trips: not too far in the future and not too last minute. I have a LONG to-do list that reminds me when it’s time to research the next location.

ON BUDGET:

In a few weeks when I wrap up my New Zealand content, I’ll have a complete budget breakdown detailing every last penny I’ve spent. It took awhile to put together — there are pretty graphs! — and I can’t wait to share it. Bottom line: I spent more money in New Zealand than I needed to and I’ve really locked down my wallet since I’ve come to Australia.

ON MISSING HOME:

While I think about people in Los Angeles and Connecticut and Boston and New York (etc., etc.) ALL the time, I don’t miss being home. Yes, it would be nice to fly back and visit my nearly 95-year-old grandmother on her birthday and hug my parents. And it was hard to watch the Tony Awards from afar and feel somewhat disconnected from the shows that have opened in NYC this past season. And I was disappointed to skip the Daytime Emmys in a year I was nominated (19 year-old Erica is shocked at this decision; 29 year-old Erica understands it was necessary to keep up the travel momentum). I am on a journey and I have given myself permission to enjoy it, free from (self-imposed) guilt for not being in two or more places at once. It’s a conscious decision to live in this moment and not long to be elsewhere. I’ve worked for years to get here and I’m grateful for each new destination I visit and each new friend I meet. That said, every single one of you back home is with me every day — I have conversations with you in my head, I see a sign or a souvenir and think of you, I flashback to moments of our friendships and co-workerships and familyships and I carry you with me from place to place. Whether you realize it or not, you add dimension to what I’m doing. So thank you for your love and support because it means the world (literally, THE WORLD) to me.

I leave you with something I saw on-line recently that further motivates me to live in the moment.

If you’re 25, these dots represent, on average, how many weeks you have left to live.

(image via)

Let’s make them count!

Sending lots of love from Australia,

Erica