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| The English Channel at St Leonards-on-Sea |
In 2005, in Paris, while sitting at a cafe, I wrote to my friend on the back of a postcard that I had to move here. I was completely enamored with the city. I’m sure that is a sentiment a lot of people have. Not just with Paris but any place you might be on vacation. Everything is new to you. And the grass is always greener. I did not move to Paris then. But now, almost 20 years later, I’m stepping out for a completely new experience which, initially, will take me to Europe and Paris.
In March 2024, In Austin, Texas I was heading to work, which that day was at the Austin Convention Center getting ready for the SXSW juggernaut to begin. I work with the IATSE local 205 and work a lot of expos there but primarily work in the lighting and electrician fields, mostly with Ballet Austin, Austin Opera and Austin Symphony Orchestra. Anyway, on this first day of SXSW, I remember as I was walking down the staircase of my apartment complex, that I didn't want to do this anymore. It wasn’t necessarily the work, though sometimes it’s, ” I’m getting too old for this.” I’ve generally liked most of the gigs I've worked. It was more of the routine, the daily grind. I didn’t seem to have any purpose. I was just getting up, going to work etc. I wasn’t really engaging with people or things. I wasn’t really living. It felt like I was just existing and it's a sentiment I’ve felt for a while. Also I don't have immediate family here and am not involved romantically so nothing was really keeping me in Austin or anywhere really. Now I know I don’t have to go across the world to “find myself”, as they say. I could do things in Austin to “get my groove back.” But it was more than that. I had just returned a few weeks earlier from a 3 week European vacation and had a great time. So I had another thought, How do I do that all the time? Not a permanent vacation mind you, more like a traveler, a wanderer. Also, one of the more important passions in my life is photography. I get some much out of composing photographs. I love doing portrait work and shooting live events as well as walking around with a camera around my neck. It may be the thing I love to do the most in this world. When I am taking photos and walking down the street, I am totally in the moment. And no matter how bad I may feel, my spirits are instantly buoyed as I turn the camera on and start pointing my lens at something. And it really doesn’t matter where I do that, whether in a small town like Corsicana, Texas or on the grand boulevards of Paris. So my love of photography, my love of travel and the desire to shake things up in my life are the impetuses that led me to my decision this past April to travel for at least a year, maybe longer, starting in the fall.
Even though I decided that this past April, I had been thinking about alternate ways of living for years. For example I’ve often thought of living the van life. Going from place to place, staying as long as I want, photographing my adventures of course and seeing new things. That's something I still might do, maybe when my year is up. I’ve also had more than a few friends who have explored similar lifestyles and have been inspirations for me as I take a similar leap of faith and go on my own journey. Part of this leap included selling most of what I own and only keeping a small amount of things, essential things, in storage. I will be giving up my apartment and taking a leave from union gigs. I will be essentially living out of a suitcase for a year. I definitely will be stepping outside of my comfort zone so to speak. But I will have my camera and will be documenting every place I go. I hope to engage with whatever my surroundings are and meet new people. I will be doing this as economically as possible.
A couple of ways I’m doing it are through house/pet sitting sights and workaway programs. For example, I will be cat-sitting for a couple in Amsterdam for the month of December. I’ve always wanted to experience the Christmas season in a European city. Essentially with pet sitting, I stay at their place for free and in exchange I make sure their kitties and doggies are fed and taken care of while they are away. Having some remote work, which hopefully I will procure soon, will help with my regular monthly bills as well as pay for hotels when I’m in between gigs and help pay for museums, restaurants and the like. I really want to see a show at Palais Garnier in Paris.
I also want to visit the places where my family is from. I’ve done some research via ancestry.com and have found some cities where my great grandparents were born. On my mother’s side, the Polish side, my great grandmother was born in Pyzemysl, Poland. At 17 years old she came to America, through Ellis Island. She came by herself and had a total of $2 on her possession. On my father’s side, the Irish side, my grandmother’s father was one of 8 children born in the 1870’s-80’s in County Meath, Ireland. Who knows what deep family secrets I might uncover.
As far as my possessions go, I’ve sold or given away most of my things. I sold a lot of stuff, I wish I had sold more of course but in reality I sold enough. The interesting thing for me when it comes to my possessions, is how I hold onto things way longer than I need to. That subject can be its own article. One of my goals, when I do settle down again, is not to have so much. Not that I necessarily will be a minimalist. I still want artwork, books and tchotchkes. I just don’t want storage bins to keep things in my closet for 10 years. If it’s not on display I don’t want it. I had a bin full of little packages of extra screws and the like that you get when you buy some Ikea furniture. I literally had some from as far back as 25 years. Even though I’m cheap, or economical as my grandfather would say, I’d rather not keep them. If I do need that extra screw one day for my Billy bookcase or whatever, I’ll just buy it when I need it. Then there was my tie experience. I have a bunch of ties. I rarely wear ties. As I was folding them into a bag to give to goodwill last week, I came across my pomegranate tie. I bought it about 30 years ago and probably haven’t worn it in 25 years. But there it was in my hands and my first thought as I gazed upon it was to keep it. I thought it’s a really nice tie. It is a nice tie and I could wear it again but I won’t because I haven't. In fact this tie has been unworn and in a box as I moved from NYC to Seattle to Austin back to Seattle and then back to Austin, never having been worn that whole time. And I have plenty of other things that have had the same fate as that tie. Just going from apartment to apartment in a box that ends up in the back of a closet.
Even though I decided that this past April, I had been thinking about alternate ways of living for years. For example I’ve often thought of living the van life. Going from place to place, staying as long as I want, photographing my adventures of course and seeing new things. That's something I still might do, maybe when my year is up. I’ve also had more than a few friends who have explored similar lifestyles and have been inspirations for me as I take a similar leap of faith and go on my own journey. Part of this leap included selling most of what I own and only keeping a small amount of things, essential things, in storage. I will be giving up my apartment and taking a leave from union gigs. I will be essentially living out of a suitcase for a year. I definitely will be stepping outside of my comfort zone so to speak. But I will have my camera and will be documenting every place I go. I hope to engage with whatever my surroundings are and meet new people. I will be doing this as economically as possible.
A couple of ways I’m doing it are through house/pet sitting sights and workaway programs. For example, I will be cat-sitting for a couple in Amsterdam for the month of December. I’ve always wanted to experience the Christmas season in a European city. Essentially with pet sitting, I stay at their place for free and in exchange I make sure their kitties and doggies are fed and taken care of while they are away. Having some remote work, which hopefully I will procure soon, will help with my regular monthly bills as well as pay for hotels when I’m in between gigs and help pay for museums, restaurants and the like. I really want to see a show at Palais Garnier in Paris.
I also want to visit the places where my family is from. I’ve done some research via ancestry.com and have found some cities where my great grandparents were born. On my mother’s side, the Polish side, my great grandmother was born in Pyzemysl, Poland. At 17 years old she came to America, through Ellis Island. She came by herself and had a total of $2 on her possession. On my father’s side, the Irish side, my grandmother’s father was one of 8 children born in the 1870’s-80’s in County Meath, Ireland. Who knows what deep family secrets I might uncover.
As far as my possessions go, I’ve sold or given away most of my things. I sold a lot of stuff, I wish I had sold more of course but in reality I sold enough. The interesting thing for me when it comes to my possessions, is how I hold onto things way longer than I need to. That subject can be its own article. One of my goals, when I do settle down again, is not to have so much. Not that I necessarily will be a minimalist. I still want artwork, books and tchotchkes. I just don’t want storage bins to keep things in my closet for 10 years. If it’s not on display I don’t want it. I had a bin full of little packages of extra screws and the like that you get when you buy some Ikea furniture. I literally had some from as far back as 25 years. Even though I’m cheap, or economical as my grandfather would say, I’d rather not keep them. If I do need that extra screw one day for my Billy bookcase or whatever, I’ll just buy it when I need it. Then there was my tie experience. I have a bunch of ties. I rarely wear ties. As I was folding them into a bag to give to goodwill last week, I came across my pomegranate tie. I bought it about 30 years ago and probably haven’t worn it in 25 years. But there it was in my hands and my first thought as I gazed upon it was to keep it. I thought it’s a really nice tie. It is a nice tie and I could wear it again but I won’t because I haven't. In fact this tie has been unworn and in a box as I moved from NYC to Seattle to Austin back to Seattle and then back to Austin, never having been worn that whole time. And I have plenty of other things that have had the same fate as that tie. Just going from apartment to apartment in a box that ends up in the back of a closet.
One of the hardest things was finding a home for my cat River. I found River when he was 8 weeks(approximately) in a bush off of Riverside Drive in August of 2022. Hence the name River. I had listed him on some rehoming sites and put it out there to my friends. There are so many dogs and cars that need homes. I’m so grateful that somebody saw River’s profile and wanted to adopt him. They came over and River immediately went to them for pets. A few days later, he was with them. One thing I hadn’t anticipated was how emotional it was. When I mentioned to people River was in the process of being adopted I would tear up. I believe I restrained myself from breaking down a few times. I kept thinking about his little face being scared in his new environment. The last thing River’s new parents said to me before they left was, “Don’t worry, he’s going to have a lot of friends.” River will not only have new humans but new kitty siblings as well.
Well everything is sold or given away, things are in storage, River is in a new home and the apartment has been cleaned. And now it’s time to leave. In fact, as many of you know, I’ve already left. It’s actually day 2 of my new life. I flew into Heathrow airport yesterday morning after a nine hour overnight flight, which had some sucky turbulence for at least a half hour. I love being woken up because of turbulence. Have I mentioned that I don’t like flying and sometimes even with the slightest of turbulence any rational thought about it goes out the window. But better rational thought goes out the window than me. Anyway I landed safely at Heathrow and took the Queen Elizabeth line to London.
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| The Shard-one of my favorite buildings in London |
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| HMS Belfast on The River Thames |
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The Fenchurch Building is on the left (known as The Walkie-Talkie) |
After a quick jaunt to gaze upon the River Thames, I took the train down to St Leonards-on-Sea where I’m staying for a few weeks with my friend Clarissa. It is in a completely charming section with lovely shops and restaurants and a short walk to the seafront promenade and The English Channel. In fact, right now as I am writing this, I'm at the Bonjour Cafe looking upon the English Channel that is across the street while enjoying a hot chocolate and almond croissant. It’s also currently 4 degrees celsius. Last night, for my first experience as a traveler, Clarissa took me to The Bavard Bar, a quirky show that took place a few short blocks away from where I’m staying. The show features three people telling a story about something they’re passionate about. Last night’s guests included a man who owns a local chocolate shop, who talked about “5 things you didn’t know about chocolate”. Next it was The Poet in Pyjamas, a woman who read her poetry, which she only started doing a few years ago after a marriage break-up of 10 years, all while in her pyjamas(that is how they spell it over here). And finally a woman who talked about the history of Krampus. Plus in between there were games that audience members could play, like play a song on a kazoo and win a prize if the audience can guess it. The show was held in Kino-teatr, which was one of the first cinemas in town when it was built in 1913.
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| Hot Chocolate from Bonjour Cafe |
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| The Kino-Teatr-home to the Bavard Bar |
That's all for now, Cheers.
Subscribed to this blog by entering your email in the box on the right.
Also, as always, I have lovely prints for sale on my website.
All the photos below are 2-3 blocks from where I am staying in St. Leonard's-on-Sea
Subscribed to this blog by entering your email in the box on the right.
Also, as always, I have lovely prints for sale on my website.
All the photos below are 2-3 blocks from where I am staying in St. Leonard's-on-Sea
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| Bonjour Cafe |
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Christ Church St Leonards on Sea |
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