What if I want to slay dragons?

I had an epiphany while I was cleaning the bathroom today. It was right after I dislodged the showerhead slightly, resulting in a complete soaking of myself in a dry shower. As I untangled myself from the wreckage of the plumbing, I thought to myself, I don’t want to be a travel writer. I don’t even really want a travel blog.

So…. what on earth am I doing writing this post I hear you ask?

To be fair, the epiphany was the culmination of a few months of real thinking on my part, and then an interesting author talk at the local library this morning. The author wasn’t a travel writer at all, in fact he wrote children’s books and his presentation was followed by a mad Irishman teaching us how to draw dragons (literally), but I digress.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Dragon’s are real!

My point, is that an author from a completely different genre and with a completely different approach to his writing journey, highlighted the one thing that I think I have been missing lately. The one thing that the travel writing lists of great places to visit in Broome isn’t doing for me or my development as a writer. The one thing that goes back up to the top of my list. Imagination.

Maybe it was the fumes from the cleaning agents, but I realised that this ‘journey’ I am on at the moment, is less about travel and more about writing. But not writing about travel, if that makes sense, but storytelling. My novel is stuck in ‘boredom town’ and my travel articles are not inspiring me. I read so many articles that say the same thing as well. Where is the imagination and individuality?

Storytelling is definitely a word that is overused. It has become a buzzword in business and for this reason I tend to resist using it, but it is fundamentally at the heart of what I want to do, tell stories. How, what format and what stories are the challenge and this chapter of my life is the time for me to explore and work this out to pursue a direction.

So, what has the shower drenching resulted in (other than forcing me to create more washing). I am going to re-purpose my blog…again. Yes I know, but this is my personl blog, its not my business calling card or my job. It’s just me. This will now become my ‘life journal’ and now the fun can really begin. I want to talk about my writing, about travel and about life.

So while I haven’t really got a plan to slay dragons, in fact I didn’t even stay to try and draw one myself, I can imagine that I was able to, and I can imagine that I was successful. It’s time to take the next step.

PS – In case you are wondering, I still plan to keep working towards my Top 12 Broome travel experiences (I have ticked off 5 so far), as these are all things that I want to do and experience, but I will be using them in a slightly different way in my writing in the future.

The ‘Broome List’

Before heading to my next destination to find work again, I plan to experience Broome to the fullest, for the next 5 months. I consider myself very lucky to have the opportunity to do this. I find myself as a strange combination of a traveller, with some local knowledge and that most definitely inspires me to make the absolute most out of this time. I’ve been doing a lot of research into different things to do and see – there are plenty of day-to-day experiences that I will be doing regularly – walking on Cable Beach, coffee at the General Store, visiting the Mango Place for a mango smoothie, watching the tides change at Streeters Jetty. That and enjoying the weather, the pool and the laid back lifestyle that makes me feel like I am on holiday..(well sort of)..

I’m all about balance. I am a Libran. I do it badly, but I strive for it always in my life, so the next 5 months will be trying to achieve some balance between work, future work and experiences. That’s the hard bit. The easier bit for me though, is coming up with my list of the 12 things on my Broome List.

I have prepared my list. 10 are brand new experiences and 2 are repeats from previous visits, that I would love to do again. There is one spot that is ‘flexible’ because I may not be able to financially achieve the option I have chosen for this spot. So here is a question for my readers. Do you have an item for me to add to the list as Number 12 – something the arm-chair readers would like to see – a view, a challenge or an experience? Add them to the comments if you do.

Pleasingly, I have ticked off 2 items already in May, so you will hear about them very soon in upcoming May blog posts. The rest I will have to start planning on when to do them and I will then reveal them in the blog over the next few months. Can’t wait!

Broome Time

Its been just on 4 weeks since arriving in Broome, Western Australlia. Tipping the end of the wet season, the first week was humid with a few remaining storms that had lingered for our arrival. I spent the first month on-foot and changed accommodation in the middle. I now have my own ‘studio unit’ which is comfortable, cool (when the fans are on) and with a shared pool and garden to enjoy in the mornings and evenings when the sun dissapears but it’s still warm.

There are a couple of disappointments to be honest. The Town Beach café, which I fondly remembered enjoying breakfast and dolphin spotting at, has closed. This is where I was going to write my book. It seems not. The town centre has been undergoing renovations for a while and the streets are messy and closed with the end of construction. Locals say it needs to be finished by the end of May and I hope it is. I’d had enough of construction in Sydney, both in the city centre and in the Northern Beaches and it feels to me like the local businesses are suffering, they are quiet even with the impending start of season just around the corner.

But these are just adjustments, letting go of the ‘dream’ and creating a ‘reality’ was always going to be part of the plan.

On the positive side, some of the old favourites, Cable Beach, Matso’s, The Mango Place and Town Beach still remain as remembered. I have also discovered the Broome Library which will be a great spot for writing, reading and working on my blog posts!

A month on foot has given me blisters, a light tan and also re-aquainted me with some of these locations as I pounded the streets, finding my way around. I feel like I can visualise the town a little better and have set myself up for finding my local hangouts. Good coffee is still on the list. I have had a few mediocre ones, generally sticking instead to chocolate milkshakes and Iced Coffee if I’m honest!

Broome presents me with an interesting challenge. A mental toughness is needed to dig in and find structure and comfort (and work!) in a different environment, where there are probably only 2 shops to buy clothes from (but you live in shorts and tshirts), limited café’s and expensive toasted sandwiches (but cheaper to buy from the supermarket anyway) and a delicate balance between travel and work to be re-found.

And….there are galleries and bookshops to visit, pindan earth and tranquil waters. There is much to explore, learn and find out, about Broome and about myself. And last Friday, I purchased a car, to take me on the Broome journey and beyond. I’m loving him already!

This is my Broome journey…And Gecko my car!

Travel retrospectives

I have started 2019 in typical fashion for me, with a number of ideas and projects that I would like to work on during the year.

One of them, is a resurrection of my blogging, specifically focused on travel and photography stories. My idea is to create a catalogue of retrospectives, covering the trips and experiences I have had over the last 10 years.

This is going to range from overseas photography experiences through to the back-yard local adventures. I will work on a plan of locations in the next few weeks and then aim to post every fortnight.

If there are any special requests from my current readership on locations, then leave a comment and I will add to the plan (assuming I have been there!).