Australia.

[snitchnipped]

Well, this place could sure use a good dusting…considering I haven't posted in over 6 MONTHS.

But anyway.

G'day everyone!

As some of you know, I've spent the last couple of months residing in Australia on a much-needed escape/break/vacation/what-have-you. And then there were the months prior to that preparing for my trip, so needless to say, I have a lot to catch up on around these parts!

The trip was fantastic. I got a lot of "soul-searching" done (for lack of a better term) and saw some amazing things, met great people, and just generally got away. I got to reconnect with my former grad-school roommate (who I stayed with) and got to hone my previously non-existent nannying-skills with her toddler. I drank great wine, ate great food, got to swim on the other side of the Pacific, travelled in and around Sydney Harbor, and even got to cuddle a koala! I hope to post a few pictures and details in the near future…

On the writing front, I've accomplished nothing. BUT, I've got quite a lot of thinking in. And tons and tons and tons of reading (I've read about 75 books this year thus far, following a total of 150 in 2012). I'd like to think I'm practicing my skills by the "think method." (La-di la-di la-di la-di-da…la-di-da…la-di-da…)

I'm still out and about traveling in the midwest in and in California before I settle back down early next month. I'm hoping to catch up on lots of fic reading in the meantime, and will slowly starting to get to work on the edits of my last year's Big Bang. It's time.

And then, of course, the NFE which I am really, really looking forward to, of course!

In the meantime…how is everyone doing?! I've missed you all!

Comments

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

It is GREAT to see you again. Wow, you went to and came back from Australia, ALREADY? Where are you going to settle? back in LA or somewhere else? Or are you going back to school? it's just GREAT to hear from you again. I'm not sure about the NFE and such. It's going to be later I guess because Snax is having computer troubles.

Thanks so much for checking in!

[snitchnipped.livejournal.com]

I'll be heading back to LA...I've had some marvelous subletters from the UK taking care of my place who requested another month, so I figured I'd save myself some rent and visit the fam.

And funny you should mention, but I am seriously considering school in the fall. But only for a certificate program to hone my skills in something outside of theater. In the meantime, I'm going to have to put my nose to the grindstone and get into temping. I've pretty much decided to leave the theater altogether. Thank you, Australia, for the insight on THAT!

Aww, bummer about the NFE...I hope we still have it this year!

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

Huzzah for going back to school! that's great! And I think the NFE will happen, I just think it will be later due to computer woes. I hope I hope!

[autumnia]

Welcome back!

Wow, it feels like Australia is THE place to be this year. One of my friends is currently there, on a very long vacation (her brother moved there) -- she invited me to go but it was really short notice so I had to decline. It sounds like the trip was wonderful and you had time to stop and think; I totally need one of those trips too.

[snitchnipped.livejournal.com]

When they say "No worries, mate," they actually mean it... there really is no worries. It was so refreshing to go from the every day stresses of surviving in LA to living in a place where everything is water off a duck's back.

If you ever get a chance to go again... GO GO GO. It really is beneficial to get out to a country you can totally feel at home with, yet still get a completely outside perspective of where you came from.

Where is your friend staying?

[autumnia]

She's currently staying in Sydney, and she's been there for about a month now. I think she was considering visiting New Zealand as well, but those plans were indefinite last I heard. The one thing she wrote me was that other than feeling homesick at this point, everything is very expensive in Australia, which rather surprised me.

[snitchnipped.livejournal.com]

I've heard Sydney is a wonderful place to visit, but not such a great place to live. But this is from Brisbanites, and let's face it, you can see all the good sites in Brisbane in only two days...

If she has the option to visit NZ, she should definitely go! As long as she's in the hemisphere...I went several years ago, and I regret not being able to tag on another trip there while I was already "in the neighborhood."

Some things in Australia are literally twice the much as in the USA. It's not much of a problem for Aussies, since they literally get paid twice as much. But they also pay a lot of taxes, so it all kind of evens out in the end and live comparably to Americans. Thing is, the respective dollars are pretty much on an even keel these days...which is great for Australians visiting the States. Bargains, bargains everywhere! But it's not so great the other way around!

[heliopausa.livejournal.com]

Hey, this is really good, to hear from you,and to hear you had a good time in Australia! Was it all in NSW? I know everything seems very far away when you get there,which is a discouragement from seeing (say) outback South Australia, or even Queensland, let alone WA. Oh -- Tasmania's little and lovely! That would be good to see. :) You'll maybe go back again?

[snitchnipped.livejournal.com]

Actually, it was all primarily in Queensland...my friends live in a suburb of Brisbane. I got out to Sydney for 5 days (and was sick the entire time, which was a bummer) and loved it there. I had full intentions of visiting Melbourne for a couple of days, but ran out of both time and money, unfortunately.

Next time, I'm hitting the south... Melbourne, Adelaide, Tas... and most importantly: WINE COUNTRY. I sure do hope I can go again within the next couple of years! My friends will always be there, and since I just befriended a lot more on this trip, there's all the more reason to go!

[wingedflight21.livejournal.com]

Wow, it's so great to hear from you again! It sounds like you had such an awesome time down there. I haven't been to Australia but I did go to NZ for a month and there's just something so awesome about hanging out on the other side of the world for a bit. :P

And so many books, hurrah! That is fabulous. And sometimes it takes a break from a story to know exactly the sort of edits you need to make, right? Good luck on that, by the way.

[snitchnipped.livejournal.com]

Oh, too true. All the reading helped put things in perspective, too—I've realized where I need to be harder on myself with the edits, and also places that I *thought* I need to edit out, but don't want to anymore. If successful, published writers can get away with frivolous details, surely I can forgive myself of the same on a silly fanfic.

[lady_songsmith]

Welcome back!

[snitchnipped.livejournal.com]

Thanks!!