USA – Diplodopest.

The three week window

Two-hundred-and-fifty-nine days have passed since I booked this trip to the United States, and only six remain before it becomes a reality.

When I booked the sole plan was to visit Mac DeMarco and write a great story worthy of peoples’ time. I’ll always hold out hope for the DeMarco plan, but at this stage it seems far more likely to be a three-week stay in NYC.

Fortunately for anyone travelling to this part of the world there never seems to be any shortage of things to do, but this particular trip coincides with some pretty cool events which I’ve detailed below.

Halloween, October 31

The spo0o0o0o0o0okiest time of the year, and while it’s kind of a small deal in Perth I’m told New York goes all out for Halloween. I’m a little stuck for costume ideas and likely to be extremely jet-lagged, but it’s still shaping up to be the realest Halloween ever.

Early costume ideas – Clippy from Microsoft Word; the dancing pumpkin from that viral video; Bookface; Australian. All so spooky.

New York Comedy Festival, November 1-6

I had no idea when I booked the trip, but there are some world class acts taking to the stage for New York Comedy Festival. I managed to get a ticket to a returned soldiers’ benefit featuring Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Seinfeld, Louis CK and Jon Stewart on the same bill at Madison Square Garden. It’s going to be the most patriotic, American thing ever and I really can’t wait to see it.

Seu Jorge David Bowie Tribute, November 12

The Life Aquatic is one of my favourite films, and the prospect of seeing Seu Jorge perform the soundtrack in tribute of David Bowie’s passing feels like one of those once-in-a-lifetime type deals. “Had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs in Portuguese I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with.” – Bowie. This is gonna be really cool.

Book, Oct 28-Nov 16

In spite of everything I just said I think the thing I’m most looking forward to is sitting somewhere and reading a book. The thought of being an anonymous person with plenty of time in a city of millions going about their day-to-day is real drawcard.

And of course…

The US Election, November 8

Say what you will about the candidates and all the rest, this is one of the biggest political
events the world has seen in quite some time and I’m really excited at the prospect of being in the States as America votes. I’ve spent the past four months trying to work out if it’s OK to ironically buy a Trump campaign hat as a souvenir. It’s a real ethical dilemma.

The other cool thing to come of the trip is this blog.

It’s been a while since I’ve been motivated enough to write in my spare time and I’m finding it really rewarding. Thanks to all of the people who have shown support so far, and I look forward to keeping you posted on the NYC happenings and beyond.

Liners

11102016172739-page-001 — Beauty may have killed the beast, but Airbnb killed the travel plans briefly

For the last few weeks I’ve been sleeping lightly, waiting for a post-bedtime email from Mac DeMarco and an invite to extend my US adventure to the west coast.

Last week the phone did go off after midnight. But it wasn’t Mac DeMarco and it wasn’t good news – my New York Airbnb, originally booked in March, had cancelled.

As someone who needs to be extra organised at all times to account for an unavoidable habit of losing personal belongings and stuttering through basic administrative tasks, losing the Airbnb was not a good situation to be in.

It was a sleep depriving bummer which set in motion a brief series of thoughts that ended in my being completely overwhelmed with the whole concept of the trip and everything around it.

Thankfully the thoughts were fleeting, the refund came +10% and the now-booked replacement Airbnb looks far nicer than the original.

Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t, but I’m getting a really good vibe from the newly locked in ‘Spacious Bushwick Room A’. The name says it all. It even has a built in wardrobe.

So while the room situation is sorted a little of the hesitation remains. I’m only there three weeks, for some it wouldn’t be a big deal but a few things are honestly weighing on the mind.

I’m not going to sit here and pretend these factors are going to get in the way of a fantastic trip – I’m sure they won’t – nerves are a part of the experience and a human thing which humans tend to do.

The following got me thinking hard:

Travelling solo

It’s not as though I’m going to get through the whole trip without having a conversation (measures in place to avoid this), but there are certain challenges in travelling alone.

How do I get in the photos I take if I’m the one who has to take them? Will someone steal my new camera if I ask them to take one for me? Will I ever be able to prove I was actually there? Does it matter? It probably doesn’t.

Sheer size

It feels kind of like the first day at a new primary school, except instead of 20-25 similarly aged kids wearing weird off-green blazers and scuffed up leather shoes it’s 8.4 million New Yorkers going about their lives.

From previous travels the reality of the situation is a lot like the first day at a new school – the nerves disappear pretty quick and all of a sudden you’re eating bagels and playing handball with the best of them.

For now it’s a little daunting. Working on some mad trick shots so they know I’m legit.

What if it’s not an amazing adventure?

Honestly the Mac stuff feels like a bit of a long shot now but I’m sure I’ll find things to make it so. It was never really about that anyway. Will keep manically checking my sleeves until I find something else up there.

There’s a few more things but I’m backing these to clear in the two weeks before blast off.

PS: The WA state library does free scanning if you’re ever in need.

Dogs and a plane

doggo-fixed

*Disclaimer: sport stuff*

They say every dog has its day, but until this weekend there were surely some long-suffering Western Bulldogs fans wondering whether there was any truth to the phrase.

In breaking its 62-year premiership drought on Saturday, Footscray captured the hearts of millions of neutral footy fans like myself, watching on because I suppose that’s just what people do on Grand Final day.

I can only imagine what it would actually mean to the die-hard fans, many of whom have waited their entire lives to see the Bulldogs play in a Grand Final, to watch their club finally bring home the cup again.

For the players and their families – the club has a high ratio of second generation footballers – it might well be the ultimate experience.

These are people who have dedicated blood, sweat, tears and all of the other sporting clichés to the cause of a club which until Saturday had just one success to show for some 90 years of history.

Sport doesn’t make sense to a lot of people, and fair enough. Remove the emotion and the narrative of the experience and you’re left with a field full of people chasing a ball around for two hours.

The beauty of the 2016 Grand Final was the absolute strength of the narrative – even those who don’t understand the allure of sport might have felt something other than boredom in watching it.

It was remarkable, and a reminder of why people choose to play the game despite all the running and jumping and skills required.

Ten years ago I was actually lucky enough to play in a junior football premiership with a bunch of really talented people who are no doubt as proud as I am at this point.

I haven’t kicked a footy for about five years, and even if I had this day in 2006 is the closest I’ll ever get to playing in an AFL flag.

Fortunately the same doesn’t go for everyone in the team. Yesterday’s Norm Smith Medallist was also a 14-year-old kid running around in a Willetton jumper against Bull Creek-Leeming that day.

Watching Jason Johannisen carve up on the biggest stage of all was phenomenal, and testament to the years of hard work and sacrifice he’s put in in pursuit of his dreams.

Yesterday he led the Dogs to the least likely premiership of the modern era – a win for the ages from seventh on the ladder. It was no under-14s premiership but it sure came close.

I don’t usually bet to the point where I had to ask the man at the TAB for help filling out the piece of paper, but like many people I know I did have a bit of sentimental cash on Jason to win the Norm Smith.

The profit is more than enough to cover return flights between New York and LA, so if it happens I guess I’ll have JJ and his Doggies to thank.

Still no word on that front, though.

Why tho.

As someone who asks questions of strangers for a living I’m a big fan of the word ‘why’. There’s a reason kids often drive their parents insane with it – overdo it at your peril but without any preface or bias it’s pretty much the most thought provoking thing you could ask another person.

Asking why invokes explanation, justification and sometimes deflection, but it’s a fantastic gauge of what someone is thinking and what their actions genuinely mean.

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked why I’m taking a trip overseas on a whim to try stalk a celebrity I’d probably have enough coin to pay for a flight to LA and back.

This week I’m going to answer some of the more commonly asked questions I’ve had since ‘going public’ with my plans. There’s only two, but they’re pretty much the ones everyone has anyway.

Why are you going overseas to stalk a celebrity?

This trip is so much more about the last few years of my life than it is about trying to find Mac DeMarco.

This thing keeps happening with my eye at work, where it gets this involuntary twitch if I spend too long at my desk. I think a few weeks away will help that calm down.

In actuality we all have our ups and downs, but having worked in three jobs and moved house six times since entering the full time workforce at the beginning of 2014, made and lost friends and colleagues, and just all of the other things that have happened I really feel a holiday is overdue.

Despite this, the motivation to actually get on a plane didn’t arise until I heard Mac’s ‘invite’ for the first time. Whether the meeting with the musician actually happens or not is irrelevant at this point, it’s the throwaway invitation which has inspired a trip across the globe, and one I’m incredibly grateful to have.

He moved. What are you gonna do now?

hotline-bling — Waitin for that email bling

Around a week ago I emailed Mac’s management and heard back almost instantly. He’s touring and writing at the time, but the message has been passed on to him for consideration and I guess that’s why I’m waking up at all hours of the night to check my emails. At least I hope it is. I’d hate to think my subscription to Hostelworld’s email newsletter is having that level of impact on my life (seems like it will still come in handy if ever in Budapest).

If we can hook something up for a meeting I’ll fly to LA during a window of the trip. If he’s not, well on a personal level I guess it doesn’t really matter – see above.

Yeah but why? You’re not even a massive fan.

This is the essence of the annoying kid overdoing it with the why thing. I’m going to New York for me, not for Mac DeMarco or for anyone else.

Surprisingly common blank stare

……..

Thanks for reading and to all who have subscribed – you the real MVPs. I’ll keep you posted on if I hear anything from Mac or his manager.

Roaches and records

roachy-1-diplodopest

Note: A lot of blogs I’ve read open with a cheery welcome post. Through no fault of its own this one doesn’t, but it picks up.

It was an unbearably warm Saturday evening spent alone in a roach infested two-bedroom flat in Perth’s southern suburbs. The apartment – my apartment – had helped me back on my feet, but a lot had changed during my time there and things felt really stale.

The recent changes – a relationship breakdown, a loss of interest in my only hobby and the cancellation of my plans for the evening – added up to feel heavier than the sum of their parts, and as such, things were pretty flat.

I was moving in a few weeks time and most my stuff was packed, but instead of making new plans that evening I sat among the roaches and the boxes and tried to keep the roaches out of the boxes and honestly felt really sorry for myself. It wasn’t a great night.

Pretty much the only thing I hadn’t packed was my record player, and having spontaneously picked up a copy earlier in the day that was when I first listened to Mac DeMarco’s Another One.

I like DeMarco’s work, but I’m no fanatic by any stretch. That said, there was a moment on Another One which particularly stood out. It wasn’t even a song. At the mini-LP’s conclusion the Canadian crooner, now residing in some weird part of New York, blurted out his address and invited the listener around for a cup of coffee.

Normally an invite to anyone who cared wouldn’t elicit a second thought, but in these circumstances it did. I’d never had any motivation to travel to New York before so I slept on the idea, but within a week I’d booked my flights to JFK – initially in September by accident but eventually in October like I’d intended. And so began a plan to travel several thousand miles from the world’s most isolated city to one of its most populous and drink a cup of coffee with a complete stranger.

I’ve read that people have made the trip before, but I’ve not heard of anyone going from Perth to do so. Provided he’s home I guess I’ll know for sure in a few months’ time.