Retrospective Part 1

Feb 12, 2019 | After The Great Journey, Photos, Thoughts, Updates

When we returned from Denmark, you’ll remember or go look for that soothing entry, it was time for the stage.

It should be the last stage play I did yet, because I wanted to concentrate on the apprenticeship. The stage has its demands and I had other priorities. But no one said I didn’t enjoy it! In fact I did leave my comfort zone in certain ways for this.

I left out grooming to appear the lost and found and still loved son. Cut out of a whale, full of wisdom and grim views of the world, unafraid and out-of-his-mind, returning home just when the world is about to end. A comedic, yet forceful and crazy play it was. Not last thanks to the dear ensemble. And don’t y’all fear: I will go there again. Honour the black planks and assume yet another character.

Just before the year came to its conclusion, two events stood out: Autmn in all golden glory. Why do I mention that season? Because there were about one or two occasions I went for some pictures. But I would say those capture some of the atmospherical essence appropriately.

The other occasion was that I discovered another place to publish. On a platform that has gone beyond photographic interest I started to post stand-out pictures alongside some moody captions and those cheesy hashtags. It is fun, check it out.

Catching Up

Jan 31, 2019 | After The Great Journey, Thoughts, Updates

A long silence is hard to overcome.

We experienced one here.

But it is over now.

I lived my life in a quiet and rather striving way. You know after I returned from the great journey, I got into an apprenticeship. That was what I did. Until it was over. It ended this very month. My life changed once more. I guess I evolved.

Up to these days it was ‚the same old‘, substantially. But now the winds are blowing stronger. The waters get wider.

Though, philosophy talk aside, the passed time has not been without wonder and awe, the months of said silence not so quiet after all.
Truth be told, my days have been filled with friends, accomplishment and love.

In somewhat of a retrospective, I would like to tell you about it. It might become a little series of accumulated bliss.

So stay tuned and be a witness of how ‚Sir Oliver Evolves‘!

One Year Home

May 10, 2017 | After The Great Journey, Thoughts, Updates

Not at all an unusual day, today.

We had our more intense school day of the week, then I got somewhat busy with my online freelance job, ordered parts for the car repair, read through scripts for the upcoming stage plays, made some wondrous guacamole with mum and dad, listened to a lot of music, looked forward to going to work and being with my colleagues and still. Still, this day is a special one.

Today, exactly one year ago, I arrived. Back in Germany. After 17 months. Long months, well lived.
In all the everyday struggle you hardly get to thinking back.

In this past year I ‘arrived’ in many ways. Have not only found a cool new job in shape of the apprenticeship, but also a company that I can call myself a part of.
I picked up some hobbies, got to know anew and to value some aspects of live, have traveled (smaller style) and kept on sharing it all with you.

Of course not as high frequented as back then, as every other day there were new things to experience. These days, my routine and also my plans have become more long-term-ish. And it wasn’t to be expected otherwise.

I want to make it about a picture, which illustrates my trail of thought well:

In the middle of December 2014 I stood in this exact place for the first time.

Back then I walked up Mount Victoria in Wellington and always marveled at the fantastic view you got when surpassing a crest on your way up.

As are these days not always made from sugar, but there are plenty of these crests along the way, after which you are presented with a splendorous panorama. And I want to rise up, want to see more of them and to go up the mountain to the very summit.
Up there, you can stay for a while, take in the view and enjoy. And from that point, you can look out for the next mountain you want to climb…

You will hear from me. 🙂

Change

Jan 15, 2017 | After The Great Journey, Thoughts, Updates

For 8 months I now live the life of a homecomer. That is not even half of the time period I spent abroad. It was evident that there would be much change. Compared to the time before, compared to the time over there and the life right now. The life after.

Just as the new year began, it made me think. Where have I been in all of 2016? You can read up on it. From the most beautiful end of the world, through an exciting continent after the other, towards the familiar home my way has led me.
Where will I be in 2017? In my home town. In an apprenticeship. And that won’t be the last year of that kind. After many months of short-term plans, my life is put on rail tracks once again. In a blog post from 3 years ago I said it with the same words already. But back then I didn’t know about the opposite. About the life without rail tracks.

In New Zealand I didn’t have these commitments at all. Places, people lifestyles you could change just like that and of course keep the best of it. Wellington, the life in the flat and my newly won friends are most precious to me to this day.
But even these commitments had to be let go sooner or later.  When you moved on, moved out or circumstances changed. The best thing about it is meeting again. Either over there or here… Some things in our lives change, but when the strongest ropes prevail, everything stays as is. Unchanged.

Every decision you make, brings a trail of change. Back then I decided to move in to a flat and I got friends for life out of it. We set out on a short weekend in the South Island with some au pairs who hadn’t ever met before then. To this day we are true friends. And Wellington got quite a number of hearty stories out of it! The au pair family I have left, alongside Wellington. But only to become friends with many more in the South Island, get into some nice work places and live in an amazing flat one more time. When I traveled with my parents and with Elvis, I got to see many places and people again, before actually moving on.

Many homecomers see all the differences between the life abroad and the life ahead directly from the start. And many have trouble fitting in again. I didn’t have a hard time to re-accustom to ‘Mum’s bosom’. There wasn’t so much of a change that wouldn’t let me live the life I had before.
And the flow was there, to see the people, to tell many times how I liked New Zealand and most of all, deciding for a career path, which you would like to walk on for a longer time.

Now I have been walking this path and come to notice that this might pretty much be the last greater decision I will have taken for some time.

Do you remember, how I longed for a regular life at the end of my time in New Zealand?
Now I have it. And now it is just this element of ever-present change, which I come to miss.

I know that for my career it is a good thing, to have a regular life. To concentrate. To live consistency. To have frames, to have rail tracks.
And you notice in my way of blogging that variety and number of the posts have ceased to some extent. Among other things, I continue the blog exactly because of this, to let you see how life changes.

 

This is my bog posts about the subject ‘homecoming’. Of course I have been home for a long time and I can’t seem to grasp it anymore, having traveled for such a long period. But now the meaning begins to get to me. And with these broad subjects I like it more, to report from the ‘big picture’ perspective, rather than out of the moment itself. Especially forming a conclusion like this.
But never fear, this is but an interim conclusion! Because as much less change I go through right now; there is still a chance for anything to happen.
And not for the least, you have always a say in this process yourself…

If the Wind toys with my Leaf

Oct 25, 2016 | After The Great Journey, Thoughts, Updates

Cold. Grey. Dark. Falling leaves. Autumn air. Clementines. Heavy sweater. Short days. Mist. Fireplace. Yellow leaves.

Just like that, summer is gone.
I don’t take it too hard, to be honest. Maybe that is because I had my last German autumn 2 years ago.And my last winter here is but 3 years in the past now.

In every new week I spend in school or at work, the difference of this life and the one I have lived for 1,5 years gets to me all the clearer.

In the end I have longed for a place to stay for a longer time. Have a genuine daily routine. Not to be on your way with everything you own after a few months. And it is good this way.

My nephew proceeds to say my name all over already (sounds like Owee) and can take more and more steps on his own.

To write a blog post, you got to have two things. Something exciting to tell and on top of that time (and maybe to be kissed by the muse).
Unfortunately I had to admit to myself not getting a hold of either lately. At least in those times, where the mix of the apprenticeship, stage play and all aside the personal life don’t let you breathe freely.

I miss the time abroad, when you wouldn’t be able to list more responsibilities other than eating and sleeping. And maybe taking pictures. Everyone having traveled a long way would know that coming home is not easy. If at first everything seems so familiar, things have changed, still. Inside yourself and in the places you find yourself once more. It will take some time to process and arrange that for yourself.

Even if these days you don’t take your camera with you on every step, you can still land some nice shots.

Life ain’t not uneasy, I overheard one saying. How true. You have to take back here and there to come out of the dark valley. But some travel plan(s) I got for the time coming, don’t fret…

You’ll hear from me.

Clear the Decks!

Jul 31, 2016 | After The Great Journey, Updates

I love to begin new chapters of my life on a clean slate.

I have tidied up my room, re-organised my folders of paperwork and even decluttered a little. 😀

The projects I wanted to finish ‘before the apprenticeship’ are all done and I am feeling quite ready.
Two and a half months have passed since my homecoming and not many major things have happened. But that is not bad at all, as sufficient things have been going on. Sufficient things to sound the bell for a new era of my working life and sufficient things to have accustomed to the German way of life.

But everything I say now, I say looking back on my previous life. I am curious for the changes, after the August commences… 😉