cool things I've learned travelling

It’s been two and a half years now that I have been on the road. In the flow of the unknown and relentless awe, expansion and vulnerability. Undoubtedly these have also been the most challenging yet bestest years of my life. Something about a rite of passage in to adulthood that my soul may have decided to ensure manifested in ridiculous adventures in to the unknown along with some stuff I could’ve done without. That daaaaaaark night the artists know of... phew... survived... Yey to life!

Despite the madness, this trip has certainly added a layer of understanding to the world and mankind’s stupidity. Thankfully, while learning of one’s own stupidity, one also gets to learn some pretty cool things whilst on tour... such as...

Archery in Austria

Volunteer teaching for Angelles de Medellin, Colombia

Grafiti in Parvati Valley, India

How to catch and gut a swordfish

How to use natural remedies for leach and mosquito repellent

How to race an antique sailing boat

How to juggle

How to do fire poi
How to spontaneously dance to Gloria Estafan

How to be a galley wench on a long sea voyaaaaage

How to extreme knit (knitting on an Indian bus driving through the Himalayas)
How to be a TV presenter

How to make a fire, talk to it and be friends with it

How to wash clothes by hand properly
How to talk to spirit

How to lovingly tolerate people with annoying, arrogant, ignorant, selfish or greedy inclinations (compassion + impermanence + politely walking away)

How to master patience in any given situation

How to share
How to qualify as an English Teacher in a crazy chaotic city like Buenos Aires

How to relate to people from different backgrounds
How to appreciate the little things
How to forgive
How to make a royal hearty breakfast
How to protect myself from negative advances

How to forage for mushrooms

How to sleep on cramped, noisy, moving vehicles

How to meditate

How to heal
How not to freak out when I witness the unexplainable

How to manage co-collaborative creative projects for the greater good

How to paint walls with cool messages

How to sleep outside under the stars

How to sleep in a hammock

How to make hair accessories out of beads and feathers

How to make macramé bracelets

How to make raw chocolate hash balls
How to appreciate selfless service and sacrifice

How to make awesome curry from scratch

How to make arepas, pitta bread and chapattis from scratch

How to eat foraged mangoes

How to wash up using ash

Very simple movie editing

Very basic photo editing
How to embody change

How to write semi decent poetry

How to teach kids English and yoga

How to make an instrument out of clay

How to say hello, thanks, yes, no, goodbye, excuse me, numbers and surprise words in Thai, Hindu, Japanese and German

How to speak Spanish confidently
How to pray

How to get lost

How to find a way

How to fix things resourcefully
How to enjoy online dating (NYC post pending)
How to be single in the most romantic city in the world (Paris)
How to shoot a bow and arrow

How to hitch hike

How not to take life too seriously
How to breathe

How to navigate mountains with a map and compass

How to navigate oceans with a map and compass

How to navigate a city with a note pad and google

How to chill-out
How to create superheroes!

How to ensure your family don’t worry too much about you

How to know when no means no
How to survive
How to share my gifts
How to surrender
How to say sorry, make amends and move on
How to live with a very broken heart

Humble acceptance and appreciation is probably one of the best learnings of all. The magic word of 'thanks' really goes a gracefully long way. I look forward to more interesting lessons and inspirations as I continue along the yellow brick road and invite anyone reading this to have the courage to travel independently one day should the inspiration take hold. The world has a lot to share and we can learn a lot from one another.

While everyday travelling this way promises to be different... she says as she sits next to an American rock star listening to the Goo Goo Dolls at a beachside cafe in Colombia.

3 years & still not offended anyone.

Blimey. That went by fast. I fell asleep on the train and awoke a few stops further than I expected. It's been three years since the launch of jectaspecta. I feel on such an auspicious day perhaps something digitally celebratory should take place like, for example, writing a blog post...

Firstly, my purpose of blogging is really self-serving. I have an appetite for understanding new things, and as someone who learns through experience, have found that writing these learnings down not only serves my memory but also might be of some (if any) value to others. Of course, I'm sure its mostly not, but people seem to visit anyway lost in a back alley of the interwebs stumbling in to my random mumblings and tangents. And yet while that remains the case, there are some things I have learned about blogging which might be of interest. Doubtful. But may be.

The 'proverbial list' of three things I've learned about blogging:

1. Don't expect the posts you spend the most time on to garner the most attention.
That doesn't mean its not worth investing your time in writing about things you love or are genuinely interested in as I mentioned above.

For example a couple of writings I deliberated on for days are certainly not my big winners according to Mr. Google Analytics, but I enjoyed learning about them:
food for thought
philosophical about the interwebs

Sometimes however you can strike bloggerland gold; I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that "changing the perceptions of giving" had had over 1500 views and this post was actually one that I was keen to share with others.

2. Be yourself.  
Some blog as a way to bring to life a professional persona. Others to keep a virtual diary of their latest escapades. I think one needs to be true to themselves and their interests while being authentic. This is my personal point of view. I don't just write for an audience; I write for myself because I'm actually interested in articulating ideas, stories or random thoughts.

If you have a point of view, don't be afraid to express it whether political (who will occupy wall street?) or even a personal tale (my festival story).

3. Edit, edit and re-edit
I have a terrible habit of editing posts once they're published. I'd like to blame perfectionism but perhaps in one's haste to 'go live' a comma goes amiss or worse still, what should be a pointy sentence becomes an overstatement with too many words to even breathe through. Knowing people have shorter attention spans with content online, keep it direct, use videos and images.

One of my most popular posts has lots of pictures of Hunter S. Thompson and two sentences. And lets be honest, people visiting this post aren't interested in what I have to say, hell no, they want some entertaining shots that Google Images has thankfully ranked highly in their search page.

Nevertheless the point remains. Keep it pointy, yes I know I don't do that particularly well but, it seems to work.

And with that I am going to tuck in to a cuppa earl grey for a sense of nostalgia and amuse myself with my rather lame first posts written three years ago whinging to myself about the prospect of turning 24 while looking down the barrel of (gasp!) 25, as I am now, looking down the barrel of 30. A charming quote I wrote, very apt given I am now leaving Sydney:

"I say be inquisitive, relentlessly raise the bar, be charismatic, chat to strangers, pick minds and don't be afraid of change."

Doesn't time move fast?