Unpacking my baggage

It's been an ongoing tradition of mine to write an end of year letter to myself. So in the spirit of keeping traditions alive, here is my 2011-12 one. Dear 2011, You have been quite a journey. I know with me graduating uni and what not, I had extremely high hopes for the year. I can't say I've been disappointed or overjoyed…but instead, it has been rather okay? I'm at a content/happy medium. Life could get worse and life will get better than this. You started off dealing me with nothing but tears. I used to lie in my bed most nights crying and feeling ridiculously alone. I loathed living and everyday blurred into one massive blob. I was at the bottom of a low. It was hard work but I fought through that. I started pouring all my anger, frustration and helplessness into working out. There were days I'd just spend hours at the gym, never wanting to go home. But then of course, that soon spiralled out of control…but that's another story for another day. ...

A couple of weeks ago, my friend (Maria) and I sought out to do a photoshoot, inspired by Terry Richardson's Gossip Girl Rolling Stones shoot. We sought to recreate his photos, but after realising that we were nothing but walking billboards of awkwardness, we ended up doing our own shiz. We did try really hard to pretend like we were laughing, interacting with each other and to "look like we're having fun"...but you know, some things are just not meant to be. Not quite as sultry, sexy and savvy as Terry's, but at least they SOMEWHAT look like they were taken by a third party...and not a self-timer camera on a tripod...

My industry has taught me that the norm is to travel and be worldly. Advertising agencies are usually made up of either people who have moved to Australia from elsewhere, or people who are from Australia but have been/lived elsewhere. Sometimes it may be for the purpose of pursuing their career, other times to see the world, and a lot of times just because. People I work with have travelled extensively. And I want to be that kind of person too. I'm hoping to move overseas in 2013...or at least at some point from there on. Travelling for me, even for the short two months stint I did last year, allowed me to taste that glorious sip of freedom. I felt that giddy adrenaline in my veins, knowing that I was in foreign land and was seeing nothing but newness and unfamiliarity. I want to discover.