As I sat in the back seat of the bus, thundering towards the central train station, the first rays of the weekend started forcing their way through the back window. That’s when it *dawned* on me that getting a drivers licence probably wouldn’t be so much of a hassle after all; that and remembering to pack my wayfarers.
Michael Lewis’ 2012 address to the graduating class at Princeton University was an interesting insight into a successful writer who came upon writing later in his career.
I found the comments on the existence of luck and chance in the finding of ones success refreshing as it brought me back down to earth, reminding me that not everything is in my hands and that I need to live a little and leave some things to fate. It also told me that the best thing to come of my adventures would be a passion for something, that I could be inspired by and motivated to pursue it relentlessly!
The search for that passion has been fruitless these past twenty years but I am certain that with more exposure to the world I will eventually find my niche.
Yesterday I spent my afternoon slumming up and down the streets of the Brisbane CBD, intent on finding answers regarding flights and visas to the UK.
It is clear to me now that in order for me to guarantee there are no restrictions on my return date I must purchase a one-way ticket. The young woman at STA Travel who helped me ensured me that, visa in hand, I would have little or no trouble with the British customs regarding the length and purpose of my trip. This was reassuring, as the only answer I had previously conceited for such serious questions was “Not sure how long, all depends on how long it takes me to sort my s**t out.” I think I’ll keep it as a plan b instead.
My other problem at the moment, other than the acquisition of the mandatory $3,000 for the visa, is deciding when to purchase my flights. There is much speculation on the ideal time to book flights. As the time for early booking has evidently elapsed, it’s either now or any time right before I want to board a plane. Any thoughts on this matter would be most appreciated!
With my focus now centred on escaping the country and acquiring the necessary funding, I have moved out of the apartment I shared with my cousin and back to the folds of familial life; the prodigal son returned.
The hunt for a second job has commenced and regrettably I have no nursing qualifications; it has become quite apparent that to have such qualifications at this point in time would be similar to having a licence to print money. Every second job online was begging nursing staff, paying well above award.
So, short of a new career path in nursing or boiler making (the boiler industry seems in dire need of employees too) I am left with working for Translink as one of those hated ticket officers, or as a dish hand at QPAC. Decisions decisions!
With such a pretty picture, you’d think I’d be more inclined to stay in Brisbane.
You would be wrong. Short of our family home, it’s contents and a few close friends in tow, this city no longer entertains any notion of excitement or belonging inside me.
Each day and every dollar brings me closer to my departure; my embarking on what I hope will be an enlightening and life-directing adventure. As the sunset fades and the air grows cooler so too does my attachment to this city.
This morning I decided to have breakfast on the sofa and watch a bit of RAGE and reminisce the countless saturday mornings of my childhood spent glued in front of the TV watching music videos.
As I’ve been sitting here I’ve watched TV On The Radio, Queens of The Stone Age AND my all time favourite The Black Keys. Naturally, having now made mention of this great fortune, murphy and his intrusive law have thrown in Janet Jackson and my streak is blown. Might still go out and buy that lottery ticket though, these days three excellent songs from three excellent bands on a commercial tv station is nothing short of a miracle!
This is the view keeping me company whilst I earn the money to finance my dreams. Each dollar brings my ticket to London closer; For the first time in what seems like an eternity, I feel a sense of direction and confidence in my actions and decisions however small they may be. Things are looking up.
Whilst I’m sure countless before me have already opined a similar distaste, I have come to the conclusion that Brisbane Central Station is where the hopes and dreams of countless generations, as well as their general hygiene, go to die.
Last night, in a rare and just as fleeting moment of clarity and purposefulness, I withdrew from my subjects at university; at long last I admitted to myself that my law degree had been a self-imposed brick shackled to myself and, as Ben Folds so adequately put it, drowning me slowly.
I can’t quite decide what I find more daunting: the thought of being adrift in a sea of unlimited opportunities only to drown in my own indecisiveness or finding myself back at university studying law full-time again, crushing my spirit one mind-numbingly boring case at a time. On second thought, it is definitely the notion of being back studying law, putting myself in the middle of corporate dystopia’s crosshairs. The thought of working in an office seventy plus hours a week for minimal satisfaction and fulfillment terrifies me; a law degree seems, at least to my prejudiced mind, a life-sentence without the chance of bail to the white-collared world I have grown abhor. In response to this, I’ve decided to first seek happiness and let success grow from there.
As my hunt for fulfillment and happiness begins, the thrill of the chase is slowly seizing me and I cannot wait to see what the future holds in store. The writing that ensues shall be testament to my love for literature, music, the arts and to the enjoyment and satisfaction I feel when writing about them.
One door closes and in its place hundreds more appear but I have picked this one, a door through which I will gladly walk.
Lost at Sea 