As suggested in my last blog, I haven't got much to blog about these days. I could blog more often, but I've encountered too many people who talk without saying anything, so it's something I'm keen to not incorporate into my written or verbal communication skills.
The main thing of interest in the past week was my day off. I had a day off! My first day off in three phases of being told to take some time for myself because it's very important! It was very lovely and very needed.
I went to the lovely Turri beach and used it as my personal writing and recording studio for new tunes. I slept in, had breakfast, packed a lunch, and set off with the guitar. I wrote and demoed a new song, recorded a video of me playing an old song, had a swim, had lunch, wrote and demoed another new song, recorded another video of me playing another old song, and headed back to Fieldbase. It was fantastic! I felt so good after it. I really needed that little creative explosion.
The first song I wrote is about getting a well-paid job when I'm done here. I'm so much more confident about the salary I could earn than I've ever been. Of course I'm aware that it might not work out, but it's nice to be approached in the first place. I've been obsessing over Nirvana's cover of the Fang song, The Money Will Roll Right In, from their Live at Reading album, which may be an indirect influence.
The second song is about being over Raleigh. It's clear that I've got what I needed out of it, and more besides that I never could have imagined, but now I just want to get home and put it to use. It's not homesickness, because that's about missing home, but at the moment I'm very much about getting things done.
The following day and night I was on radio duty. I was conscious of the fact that this would be the last chance I'd have to write anything in Costa Rica. Colleagues gone to bed, guitar out, and I started putting lyrics over a melody that happened during the day. But then halfway through, I started playing other random chords, and a different song came out.
Then I went back and finished the one I'd initially started writing.
And that has been pretty much the height of my excitement. There's photos here.
I'm still thinking lots about getting home. Everything from getting rid of DEET spray to save room in my rucksack, to getting back to wearing band t-shirts instead of Raleigh ones. I saw a photo the other day on Facebook where I was wearing my hoodie from my uni in Dublin, and I just thought "I miss that hoodie". I'm surprised at myself missing clothes. Obviously when I'm writing and recording new tunes I'm thinking about playing them on my lovely guitars, and which guitar I'll be playing through what amp, on what pickup selection, for what part when I go to record them properly.
I applied to do some writing for an online content agency. They were happy to have me on board. The pay is really, REALLY bad, and the articles are pretty awful, but it's money. I've to submit a minimum of three articles a week, so I've already started that because I can fit it in around my Raleigh commitments.
I can't believe how little time I have left here. I'm probably going on about it. a bit! This night two weeks, I'll be in the Actress and Bishop watching Imogen's Kiss and This Elegant Chaos. The Actress and Bishop does a decent pint of Guinness, so I'll be all over that. The following Wednesday is band practice, which I'm impossibly excited about! Slinging on an electric guitar for the first time in three months and making some noise! I don't think I can explain how happy this makes me! I have ended three consecutive sentences on the matter with exclamation marks, so that might give some indication. The following weekend is a bank holiday weekend, and, all going to plan, we'll be recording a couple of tracks with an interlude of beer, barbecue and burning stuff. That's not as dangerous as it sounds - last year I was getting rid of a load of cheap chipboard furniture via bonfire accompanied by beer and barbecue. It was fun.
Back to the present, phase three ends in two days! All the Project Managers and Venturers arrive back, we do a bunch of reflective stuff, shove the pups on the bus, have a beer, finish up the paperwork, and then go to Quepos for two days. And that will be the end of my time with Raleigh International in Costa Rica. I'll be leaving my colleagues and heading to San José for a few days, to sit quietly by the pool, nursing beers and trying to calm my brain down at least a little bit before I fly home on Wednesday 22nd, arriving back in Brum at lunchtime on the 23rd.
Wow. It's crazy just thinking about it.
Not sure when I'll have anything of note to write. You'll hear from me when you hear from me.
Pura Vida!
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