June 15, 2008 - June 21, 2008 Archives

33 days of perpetual motion. Eating, sleeping and using Skype on the move.
If you dig this film, forward it onto your friends by copy and pasting this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE7WmenQ7EQ

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It's certainly been an interesting five weeks. Well the most colorful of my life to date.

A creative in advertising, I normally spend my days thinking up ideas and concepts for clients. This time my life turned into the idea... quite a shock to the system for the first few days, that's for sure. I'm not sure how I deluded myself, but it wasn't until I landed in Singapore that I realised the extent to which this project actually was a reality project. Stupid I know.

Now that I am back, my life somehow feels flat and drab... I am overwhelmed, in a state of exhaustion from using up a lifetime of adrenalin... but somehow I'm craving the fast-paced, stressy challenges of working myself out of impossible situations that I have become so accustomed to over the past few weeks... like having to find a high-speed internet contract that works across the baron outback of australia at 6.59am in the morning with 57 minutes before my train leaves, with no credit card, internet, money, proof of address, birth certificate or CD drive on two hours plane sleep. And if I don't find it I will have close to zero connection for the next week which is obviously not great for the blog!!! An hour in the life of a Nomad... every day felt like a 24-hour episode of the Amazing Race! Seriously.

A big thank you to Skype for having the confidence, honesty and enthusiasm to put their product to the test in such a full-on way. A pretty ballsy move for a company in this day and age! Love it.

What a spin out. I've now been back a week and am only just starting to feel the post-nomadic effects of the past month. I've used up a hell of a lot of adrenalin, energy and, well, health and am just beginning to feel the burn! Aside from feeling like one of those stupid birds flying crazily around a room then splatting against a window, the hardest thing is actually staying still!
Seriously. I wake, leap out of bed and, for the duration of the day, fight urges to twitter, photograph and document every banal part of my day. Only thing is, my life is comparatively boooooorrrrrring. I've been quite busy editing, collating and organising since I have been back, but there is something less satisfying about doing it all from the comfort of a wheely chair.

Symptoms:
Patient experiences severe and sudden bouts of guilt regarding staying stationary.
Patient suffers from heavy limbs, sore throat, lack of energy and generally feeling like death warmed up.
Patient possesses strong urges to twitter about menial details on returning to normal life.
Patient finds it difficult to resist urges to photograph and document uninteresting elements of their day.
Patient struggles to stay still for long periods of time, resorting to pacing corridors, train platforms and lounge rooms when surrounded by available seating.
Patient overwhelmed by state of boredom and deep desire to travel more.

Diagnosis:
Patient suffering from severe-post-Nomadic-stress-syndrome. Needs to get a life immediately.

Watch the high res version here and click on watch in high res

Music by Cloud Control, Vintage Books. Listen to more of their stuff here.

That what goes up must eventually come down
That cheese flavor does not taste like cheese flavor all around the world
That a woman should never travel on a train by herself in China
That Estonian women are hot
That astro-turf is still alive and kicking
That the firewall of China really does exist
That you need a visa to get into Russia
The best coffee really does come from Italy
That it is always worth the extra 20% when booking sleeper trains
That being on a train for five days straight makes a girl mental
That the Three Skypephone even works in the Hong Kong metro/underground!
That the best way to travel is most definitely by boat
That you should never keep a bus load of Nannas waiting
That traveling on a sleeper train is never relaxing
That opening a can of tuna in an enclosed room creates a long lasting stench
That if you are jet lagged, the best thing to do is get out in the sun as it
readjusts your body clock naturally
That it actually is possible to communicate without speaking
That disconnection is one of the most frustrating things, especially when you
are writing a blog
That a massive pair of sunnies is the best thing for interviews and photos if
you are tired
That cabin fever really does exist
That above all things, being surrounded by water relaxes me
That people treat you so much better when they think you have money
If you are crossing Australia or China, do not expect mobile or internet connection
That a person only really needs 4 hours sleep a night
That there is a world wide shortage of cranes because they are all in Singapore
That you really aren't allowed to take photos at airports
That the Three Skypephone works best in main cities
That all airports have freaky p.a. songs playing 24/7 to stop people living there
That you can pay your way out of most situations
How to Nanna nap while sitting upright
How to stretch my hands really wide so I can carry five mobile phones and a
camera at the same time
How small mountains can make you feel
That Chonqing is the most populated city in the world
That you can be near a natural disaster but be the last to know
That Singapore airport has swimming pool
That Pippy Long Stocking is Swedish
That man made concrete things can actually turn me on
That raw cauliflower is served in bars in Estonia
That German tourists hit hard
That champagne in Estonia is sweeter than normal
That Americans call main meals entrees
That you really can call someone for free on the Three Skypephone
That I can be a multi-faceted machine when I need to be
That Chinese mountain girls are very good singers
That traveling on your own can be extremely lonely
That there really is no place like home
That I really do need human contact
That wrinkles can come on quickly
That it is impossible to enter the US without having a hotel booked
That connection drops out when you are constantly on the move
That I can always find a little bit more energy for a roller coaster
That sometimes smiling and nodding is your best option
That no matter where you go people are ultimately exactly the same
That German sleeper trains and sandwiches are the best in the world
That it is impossible for one person to film, edit, photograph, write, upload,
organise connection and problem solve while trying to be constantly moving
That all you can eat buffets are not a good idea
That I have no tolerance for people who chicken out on scary rides
That your life can change completely in the space a of a day
That there are some places that you visit that feel eerily familiar
That there are many Nomad products and signs out there
That your mind really can control your body
That some cosmetics really do work
That in order to be a Nomad you need to be able to do at least 7 things
at once
That I have a high stress tolerance
That many taxi drivers have recorded a CD
That the average age for people traveling on sleeper trains and cruise
ships is 65
That couples in their second marriage travel more than ones in their first
That gambling is illegal in Hong Kong
That one can become addicted to twittering
That people prefer to read negative posts than positive posts
That the bank really expects you to call them each time you leave a country
That long dresses are the best travel outfits for a girl
That canned food is under rated
That you can't cross a country and expect to have mobile coverage
That if you put your mind to doing something you can do anything
That you can do a hell of a lot in 33 days

Looking at this film is so sureal. When I watch it I don't even see myself... In order to cope along the road I literally took every day as it came... Which is quite strange as I am normally always two steps ahead of myself and often miss enjoying the moment in time that I am actually living. It's pretty cool to watch though... I can't believe how much you really can do in a month!!!

Here's a little montage of some of the motion pieces I shot along the way. Big thanks to Cloud Control for the use of this chilled out tune. Check out their myspace page at www.myspace/cloudcontrol

What a whirl wind of a month. Can't believe it's over.
I've met so many different people, visited lots different places, learnt a few big lessons and had some fun along the way!
Thank you to everyone who has followed my journey and chatted to me along the way.
Nomad Rebecca signing out x