TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

Monday, January 19, 2004

12:34 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Can't remember exactly when I last wrote - maybe in christchurch after leaving takaka. Speed synopsis of the last few weeks.
Flew into sydney Tuesday 6th Jan. Stayed at Julaines, she's working in the armoury for a military movie filming in sydney. Went out to Maroubra with mum to visit Jeannie, singer and my godmother, swam at the beach and hung out with her friends visiting from Mexico city. There's always someone staying from somewhere interesting at Jeannie's. Then quiet evening at home, next day caught up with Lisa just back from woodford via a nightclub on the central coast for several hours - she's regressing to adolescence according to her flatmate Pip. Checked out their spare room which will be my home for 6 months in sydney. Very cool, a big old terrace with polished floorboards, lots of light and really big rooms - mine is a decent size, under the kitchen and not really part of the rest of the house, it's like the bungalow or something. We all went out to Homebush for the opening night of Sydney Festival - 'of angels and light' - absolutely gorgeous performance by an Italian company, who had aerialists flying overhead on 200m wires, their incredible costumes fluttering in the wind, and enormous helium balloons painted with classical italian style imagery, another dancer in a harness underneath, who would leap above the crowd and dance over our heads for a few feet, then run along the ground. Wild fire perfomance with a woman twirling in a leather skirt with a belt of long straps with fiery corks at the end spinning out around her, and two gorgeous men playing with flaming ropes and throwing handfuls of fire out into the audience - we were directly in front of them, it was mesmerising. One of those experiences that is so beautiful, my heart was in my mouth, totally mindblowing. Then the shadows on the buildings as they danced, the music also gorgeous singing and a very solemn narration about the angels of fire and light.
Drove down to cobargo with mum on friday, spent the weekend at her newly built studio, very stylish, met up with Garry and Helen and Oskar and Harvey at Jude's place, had dinner with them and a swim next morning at cuttagee beach. Then got back to melbourne via canberra on monday afternoon, collapsed for a day and went down to somers for a few days complete relaxation with Philippa at her beachouse. Lay on the beach, read trashy magazine, ate fish and chips - decadent.
Now it's monday and I really have to get over being on holiday and get on with life. Like everyone else. Except I have to pack up my house and sort out all the accumulated junk to try and be minimal in sydney. It's times like this I wonder about the whole nomadic lifestyle thing - sure it's great to be in new places, and have adventures, and of I still have a place back here, but I am really craving somewhere of my own to make a home and come back to every time. Well, if one chooses to spend the equivalent of a deposit on a house travelling the world to record bridges, I guess this is consequence of making that decision. Yes it is much more fulfilling for me anyway to be living this life, than with a mortgage and a small investment apartment somewhere in the outer suburbs, one day I will have that fabulous house with a balcony looking out over the ocean from my bedroom, and a garden and a dog. Just not this week, or probably this year. I'm definitely going back to spend some time in NZ, it was amazing reconnecting with family, and meeting all the kids, just having that sense of belonging and being part of that family is so important to me. It's only taken 15 years to work that one out. Oh well, better late than never.
Did I really just write that. Sometimes cliches make the most sense.
Decided this morning that I need to live with a deeper connection to my soul, not to let things slide or just wander around vaguely heading towards my goal - but immerse myself completely in the life I'm living now, stop imagining some fantastical perfect scenario with the ideal house, lover, creative fulfilment, lots of money etc. Guaranteed once you find yourself living those dreams, something else will seem to grab you and it's never enough. So, starting right now, it is enough. More than. Yes, I'd like to hang out with Viggo and write my novel and compose more and do some dance classes and learn spanish etc etc etc but it starts right here.
So, best get out and do some of the things I need to do today.
love to you all xxxxxx lulu