They hang there, the stars, like notes on a page of music, free-form verse, silent mysteries swirling in the blue like jazz…
I’m fortunate to be working on ANOTHER show — Blue Like Jazz. It’s weird in a way, I remember Don Miller speaking at Belmont one of my first weekends there, and I remember the loneliness, confusion, and angst I was feeling, and I remember his words being comforting. It’s surreal now to be working for him as well as Steve Taylor, of all people — the legend who penned several Newsboys classics such asTake Me To Your Leader and Breakfast in Hell–at least, I think that’s what it’s called. I keep working with people who have had an impact on my life in some way. It makes me feel I’ve discovered my niche. I remember interning at dreaded Sony/ATV, and I remember being invited to a number 1 party for Carrie Underwood or something. And I remember feeling that any normal person would be excited, but somehow I knew it wasn’t my deal– it didn’t feel right–but I also knew I wasn’t far off the mark. I didn’t end up going. I remember learning in church how God knows the desires of our heart, and in my short amount of years, I’ve realized that He knows the desires of mine better than I thought I knew myself. This was never the career I planned for myself, yet it’s been so much more of an exciting adventure (albeit arduous) than I ever could’ve imagined. I try not to turn back to look where I’ve been at the risk of getting dreadfully nostalgic, but I am guilty of the occasional reminiscence– especially of my jaunt to the southern hemisphere. I listen to any song from “Hello Hurricane” and it takes me back to somewhere in Australia — the weather, the smells, the breeze against my face, the feelings of solitude or independence. And then I realize the last time I saw Switchfoot play was in Sydney, and then I wonder if life really could get any better than that. But I know it can… a thousand times yes. I need to be a better person tomorrow. I failed miserably today. It’s amazing to be this excited about caring so deeply for a person three and a half years later. The distance has made it hard, but it’s made me realize the sacrifice required. I could get sappy here–okay, so the first draft of this entry WAS pretty sappy– multiple supporting lyrics included — but I am going to summarize it all by saying: Yes, what they say in the songs IS true. And on that silly but giddy note, I should go to sleep, because the clock stole twenty minutes from...
A word about Couchsurfing.
I first learned about couchsurfing a few years ago when I was scanning gumtree for potential sublet opportunities. It struck me as an irresponsible thing to consider — a breeding ground for potential kidnappers and rapists. I immediately dismissed the idea and went on living my life, pining away all the while with desire to one day venture to Australia. Two years go by. I’ve finally purchased the plane ticket to Sydney and everyone in close proximity to me is freaking out. My mother suggests, “You should look into finding a friend down there to show you around.” I suddenly remembered the idea of couchsurfing, and forgetting my previous notions, it struck me as a brilliant idea. I joined the official CS website and attended a local CS meeting and started sending out requests. That’s how I found Jim. I was slow to send requests to guys at first simply due to the solo-girl-in-a-new-continent fact and the safety considerations that come with it, but he had the highest praise out of other Sydney hosts, including the thumbs up from multiple female travellers, so I figured I’d be in good hands. I arrived in Sydney, stayed in a hostel the first few nights, and met up with Jim on my second evening. I met a bunch of his friends, another couchsurfer, and we headed out to a rugby game. In my short two days that I couchsurfed with Jim, he took me to the fish market, South Head, and Bondi Beach, I met Melissa and Raquel, and we spent Easter together (in the form of a pub crawl – ssh). I then left Sydney and did a small tour of Australia, including Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast. But I got along so well with Jim, Raquel, and Melissa that I decided to pay them another visit before heading to New Zealand (plus Switchfoot was playing a show in Sydney…) Anyway. I stayed with Jim for another 5 days and hung out a great deal with Raquel during that time. I also had a firsthand celebration of ANZAC day as Sam and Jim are in the Australian Navy. And, finally, I left Sydney and moved on to New Zealand. I’ve been back in the US for almost three months. In that time, I’ve stayed in pretty good contact with both Raquel and Jim, if only through Facebook chat and the occasional text. I’ve missed both of them a great deal, and Melissa posted a photo of the gang out without me, and commented on my absence. Jim said he was planning on “swinging by” North America next year after...
hey, let’s open the door and get some culture
Our first couchsurfers came yesterday. I was a little unsure as to what to expect — two young British guys who just finished a year at MIT but otherwise go to Cambridge — that could mean any number of things: frat boys, extremely smart but lacking in social skills, etc. But as soon as I met them, I liked them instantly. For one: They brought wine, which was far above my expectations and I regret not doing that for my hosts. They’re extremely courteous, make excellent conversation, and are genuinely curious about what makes Nashville awesome. I regret not having much free time to spend with them, but Allison took them on a tour like a pro and it sounded like the perfect itinerary for a couple of “blokes” with one full free day to spend here — I’ll have to steal it when I entertain some future guests of ours. It really is like traveling without traveling. Part of what I loved about my trip was meeting people from all over the world and learning about other cultures, the perceptions and misconceptions about one another’s countries– and couchsurfing (especially on the hosting end) is a more economical way to do the same. I only surfed 5 or 6 times, but it was enough to know that there isn’t always chemistry between surfer and host, or a “spark”, if you will — but this one has definitely been one of my top CS experiences. I hope to catch up with these guys back in the UK someyear. I’ve tried to maintain the traveler’s mindset since I’ve been back, that I’m only passing through, and trying to view the landscape as someone from another part of the world would. It definitely enriches the mundane day-to-day sort of things. I am enjoying being around some of my favorite people in Nashville, but I will always be ready for whatever adventure comes around the bend and leave it all again. This entry is limping along and I regret not being able to convey my emotions accurately into words. Maybe it has something to do with working so much these last 2 weeks and not having enough time for reflection, reading, things that expand the mind, etc, as I did when I was spending 3-4 hours a day in transit of some sort. Tomorrow we’re shooting a commercial in my kitchen....
indiana
Just spent two days working in Indiana. I feel so blessed to have had an awesome trip and return home and literally hit the ground running. Having somewhere else to focus all my energy has helped me readjust in a lot of ways, although I feel like I’m experiencing home/Nashville through a visitor’s eyes, and I’m only passing through. Today when I woke up, I felt so lonely, lonely to the point that theres something pounding somewhere deep within me. I’ve often felt this way when waking up to go to work, and before my trip I was terrified that I would feel ten times as lonely waking up on the other side of the world with no familiar faces within 9,000 miles. This morning when I felt that old, familiar twang, I realized I hadn’t felt it in a significant length of time — I didn’t experience it at all on my trip. Which is interesting: Why the pangs of loneliness when I’m home (home being the US) and waking up before doing a job I love? I don’t know. I went by Target a few days ago near here — the Target that I last went to the day before my trip — and it’s totally gutted. A lot of the stores nearby were completely empty, and there were only five or six cars in the entire parking lot. It’s unreal. It’s weird to have not been here when the flooding happened, but to come back and find a lot of things gone. As I said in my adventure/travel blog, it’s like being in an alternate reality. The weirdest thing about coming back has been how long the sun stays out. In New Zealand, the sun would set by 5:30pm/6:00. Here, it’s light out at 8pm and for the first few days I wouldn’t realize the time and end up eating dinner at like 10:00. And in Indiana, they’re further west than Nashville but in the Eastern time zone, and with simple addition you can figure out it was 9:30 before it was completely dark. And anyway. I’m losing my ability to write coherent and complex sentences....
Learning to Breathe: End of the Tour Down Under
I’ve learned so much on this trip I don’t even know how to begin writing down all my ponderings. I’m currently WWOOFing in Matamata and it’s been a really good way to wrap things up. Being out in the country with the fresh air, beautiful rolling hills, and manual labor has provided me with ample opportunity to mentally arrange the various stages in my adventure and realize what I miss, how I’ve grown, and things that I’d like to change. I guess that’s as good a starting point as any. What I’ve Missed: Oddly enough, one of the first things I missed about being away was working with Gabe and our humorous exchanges. Extremely random, but true. Another one of the first things I missed was noodling around on the guitar at band practice with Levi. Which is also something I wouldn’t have anticipated, because we haven’t played together in at least two years and haven’t had regular band practices in about five years. I’ve missed Gunner often, usually at mealtimes because I often found myself cooking for myself. I realized I can’t wait to cook for him, as 1950s a stereotype as that may be. Being here amongst a family on a farm has reminded me of my own childhood and how good I had it. I remember my dad telling me that often but of course it didn’t mean anything to me at the time. I’ve missed Coxey and Greg. I’ll be happy to sit down with them and have a beer and play Smash Brothers, or play disc golf. There were a few times when I wished I could hang out with Gunner and his guy pals. I’ve missed hanging out with Jessie and Allison, which again, there hasn’t been a whole lot of that in the last two years. I’ve missed going to Kentucky with Gunner and hanging out with his family. I’ve thought more than once about how I can’t wait to get back to New Orleans. I guess you could say I’ve found myself missing a lot of how things were at different years in my life, and that could explain why I’ve been feeling so lonely in Nashville. Things I’ve Learned That there still are good people in the world and that alone is a reason to keep on traveling. On this trip, I couchsurfed 7 times, WWOOFed with one family, and have met numerous awesome people in hostels that I hope to meet again along the road. For example — two nights ago I left my iPod in my hostel in Wellington and couldn’t find it. My other 5 roommates were...
About
I'm Laryssa, and when I'm not working in film or television, I'm attempting to travel -- or I'm here, providing resources for working in film or travel. Read more Elsewhere on the internets
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