Aotearoa

Hi, remember me? We spent three weeks glued together, hand-in-hand on the most magical island in the world. We trekked eight hours and stood on top of mountains; we stood by epic waterfalls; we bathed in natural sulphuric hot springs; we ran into the freezing ocean after sitting in 60 degree DIY hot spas; we spent almost every day at the beach and munching on chips and pineapple fritters; we cuddled in the rain and soaked up the sun; we spent Christmas in a mountain lodge in a quiet little town and stumbled around on NYE in a drunken big city; we stayed in a caravan park adjacent to a surf shop and met some awesome people and the best dog in the world who has no passed on; I’d cook and you’d do the dishes in our amazing outdoors kitchen; we played drinking games and couldn’t even get through the whole thing; we drove around tired and hungry and sometimes even in the wrong direction; we were mislead by those giving out directions and were left to solve matters together; we solved matters together; we spent far too much money and had far too much fun... remember that time we almost got beaten up by that huge truck driver?; we argued and laughed and smoked so many cigarettes and drank so much beer. Yeah, remember me? Maybe you don’t. But I remember you. And I miss you.

-S

Still Trippin'

I stood on mountains and read books. I sat on the side of the road and smoked kretek cigarettes. I stayed in a villa, a four star hotel, a town house, a driver motel and an apartment. I rode in planes, trains, buses, bikes and expensive cars. I crossed borders, entered a nation under Sharia Law, witnessed capitalism and corruption at its worst and met the finest and brightest young minds. I made new friends and caught up with the old one's that I've missed so dearly. I went to South-East Asia and my heart is never coming back.

-S

South East Asia

Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia

-S

JKT DON'T SLEEP

I don't think anyone can truly comprehend the way that Jakarta never shuts down unless they come here. I had to get up at 3am the other day to catch a flight to Malang. As I was riding in the airport shuttle bus, staring out the window, I noticed people out on the streets just hanging out, shops fully lit and open, and dozens of cars on the road. And Indonesians think it's quiet when it's like that. Now I come from Sydney and lived in Chicago but those places still don't live up to the intensity that is Jakarta. This severely overpopulated part of the world is dirty, humid and shoulder-to-shoulder crowded. But it's also infinitely entertaining, diverse and full of cultures the world seems to be ignorant to. There are a myriad of issues when it comes to the way this country is hypocritically run and the attitudes of the people here in general but you know, there will always be a very special place in my heart for the motherland. After all, I am a mountain child with roots lying in the ridges of Malang, Madura, Medan and Palembang and my big city hunger is filled with the wonders of Jakarta.

-S

Jom!

I'm currently in Malaysia and as much as I hate the fever I currently have, I'm liking it here. I'm staying with my dear friend Luke and we've pretty much just eaten awesome food.

Before Kuala Lumpur, I was in Singapore which is a mindfuck. It's a baby country, about the size of Chicago, I think, with a population of 4.5 million. The streets are constantly packed and the pockets of cultural neighbourhoods are wonderful. All in all, it was okay but I had to attend a wedding that spread over two days and that was a little bit annoying. Plus, travelling with my family is not very fun. Other than that, I went to Little India, the Singapore Art Museum where there was an awesome after hours dance party, Universal Studios and saw Kumar perform - a Singaporean drag comedian.

Tonight I'll be heading to Luke's bands jam session and tomorrow we're going to Batu Caves, which in English basically means Stono Caves! Let's hope I can kill my fever by then. Saturday morning, I'll be heading back to Singapore by bus and flying out of there back to Jakarta.

I hope you're all well and happy.

-S

This My Excavation

My patience is being tested every day. I'm currently living in Jakarta, Indonesia with a pregnant older sister who has a three-year-old hyperactive daughter, my hot-head of a mother and a little sister who doesn't know how to stop moving or speak at a conversational volume. On top of that, we get stuck in insane traffic jams every day after spending the day carrying my sisters shopping and telling my niece to "Sit down". But it's all okay because I'm not going to take this trip for granted. That was a mistake I made when I was living in Chicago and I've learned that being an ungrateful, selfish bitch isn't going to make me or anyone else around me happier.

I smoke a different type of clove cigarette every day, I eat tempe and tahu bacem every afternoon, my ma's rich friends give me bottles of red wine, shisha is five bucks and I get to chill with my crazy arse fam. What the fuck do I have to complain about? Seriously? When I go back to Australia, I know I'm going to miss this.

Tomorrow, I fly out to Singapore and on Tuesday I catch a bus from there to Malaysia where I'll get to see one of my best friends who I haven't seen in over six months. I love knowing I don't have to stay in one place. I love knowing I have nothing to be attached to. And that's quite possibly selfish in itself but all I want is to be observant and understand the importance of embracing my surroundings.

-S

Motherland

Bare feet stepping on soil that is meant to regenerate your soul and create pulses that you have been missing for so long now. Meanwhile, the world around you falls apart - waves engulfing, people dying. Always dying. You ran away. You ran away because it's always too much for you to sink your teeth into and fix. You never fix anything. But at least you're with your mama and she's giving you money that she doesn't have and she's feeding you the food of the motherland with all the passion in the world. You have to stay grateful or you are going to break. You have to stay grateful or you are going to lose all sense of self. You do not need a break. You need to sort your fucking shit out.

-S

Just Keep Drinking Water and You'll Be Alright

Written: Sunday 13th February 2011

I tried really hard to experience Los Angeles but all I could think about was my friends - rather, my family - back in the Midwest and how this trip would be ten times more crazy and fun if they were all around. I was so bored and LA did nothing for me. I'm currently sitting at the airport and I have more than an hour until I hop on a plane to transfer in San Francisco. I don't know what to do. I can't even go anywhere for a cigarette and I've already said my very last goodbyes.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see my friends and family back in Sydney but I feel like a large portion of my personal development was due to the fact that I actually left Sydney on my own terms and started a new life, in a new home. And that is what Chicago is to me - it is home.

Sometimes you make connections with a bunch of people and you are unable to comprehend an ending. I think that's because diving in head-first feels so good and the very first initiation into a new and beautiful relationship makes everything that was once systematic shut down. The very thought of you leaving makes you dizzy so you block it out without realising how detrimental that can really be.

I am exhausted and I can barely hold back tears. It's ridiculous because there is a chance that I'll be back anyway. When that is, I don't know but I do know I'll do anything for it.

It's good to be going back because I've missed everyone so much but I feel as though there is nothing in Sydney for me anymore. Nonetheless, I will try my hardest to make the most of being back in my home base and finding new ways to remain exhilirated.

From a very tired and somber Stono Caves, I would like to say "Goodbye" to the first leg of my journey across the world and "What's up?" to the next part.

Thank you.

-S

Put Some South in Your Mouth

Memphis, Tennessee was one of my favourite places in all of the States. From dive bars to historical landmarks to kind souls to live music, it was definitely the perfect place to kick back and enjoy love and life with your friends.

-S

Snowmageddon 2011

The universal force worked its magic in ways that I could not even comprehend this week in Indiana. All I can express are fragments, random words that don't mean anything to anybody else but represent an array of surreal emotions and moments. I've never felt cabin fever and complete and utter joy at the same time before. Indiana was definitely a bizarre yet awe-inspiring experience and I'm not even trying to romanticise it.

West Lafayette...
Canadian whiskey; chocolate vodka; 65 Days of Static/Circle Takes the Square; College party at Purdue University; Budweiser and Guinness at Jake's Bar; sleep, improv music sessions, dancing, drinking and Lost in Translation at the Trash Castle; unreal conversations and bonding and super special people; 1am strolls.

Indianapolis...

Cancelled bus back to Chicago for two days because of blizzard; adopted by two wonderful souls; Boxer beer (gross); Sailor Jerry's rum (gross); walking to Yats in frozen rain; skateboarding in the basement; guitar all day, every day; Spongebob, The Evil Dead and Pumpkinhead; Discharge; gay dogs humping boys arm in fancy house; Night Train (gross), the Drifters and TMNT on Nintendo.

I wish I could explain it further but words just don't cut it.

-S

Midwestern Hospitality

Wisconsin to me is sitting in a living room, indirectly encouraging my friends to smoke more cigarettes. It's driving around in a Honda CRV named Yogi, chatting the day away and rapping.

Wisconsin is hair dye and bleach sessions until one in the morning with cookies and whiskey and a whole bunch of beautiful cats... in the kitchen. It's awkward moments, every single time. It's sleeping on a couch or in a decked out attic.

Wisconsin is where three kick-arse women reside. It's reppin' Chicago just because I'm in Madison. It's talking politics whilst trying to wake up at 2pm. It's getting hit on by boys who look twelve in BP - he asked for my ID and I thought: "You have got to be kidding right now, matey".

Wisconsin is coming home with a Jameson bottle filled with Jolly Ranchers, Gaza-themed card, Rhymesayers pin, tin of cookies, bunch of stickers and orange streaks through my hair.

Anyway, these experiences are never really explainable and this is my attempt at it but it doesn't even sound right. I just miss them already and I don't know what I'm going to do when they're twenty hours away instead of two.

-S