Festival Season | 2024 So Far

It’s taken me a significant amount of time to finish writing and posting about my adventures in New Zealand, where I left in November after three weeks of travelling. My regular posting schedule was pretty strong until the beginning of this year, when I became incredibly busy with work. I’ve moved around twice since then, but the busyness continued. 

Since leaving New Zealand, I’ve been working several different festivals and events across Australia. I still think about our trip every day, appreciating and acknowledging that my experience there was one of the best times of my entire life. I have spent the past few months very differently to how I did in New Zealand – of course, I needed to earn back all the money I spent! – but they have also been fun and rewarding and special experiences. 

I also went home for a month over Christmas! After eleven months abroad, the longest time I have spent away from home by a long stretch, it was so perfect to return home for the festive period. I was able to catch up with family and friends, celebrate a lovely time of year, and truly relax in a manner I hadn’t quite been able to do. Also, I hugged my dog. 

My three and a half weeks flew by, as I darted between Southampton and London, with a brief few nights in Leeds. I was spoiled with socialising and quality time, and reminded that despite my time away I still very much have a place in the UK: in people’s lives and the communities we’ve created together. I hadn’t been particularly worried this wouldn’t be the case, having made an effort to stay in contact with people I love, but it is natural for things to change. It was reassuring to know that no matter my next steps, I have a home that is ready to receive me. I am so grateful for that.

When I returned to Perth in January, I had five and a half weeks of work ahead. A box office job at an immersive art experience and a front of house role at Perth’s Fringe World. I worked a lot of double shifts, in 40+ degree heat, which was exhausting at times but also so much fun. I love working in events, particularly at festivals, and in both roles I was lucky to be part of fantastic teams and make strong connections with people. My work was very social, and that continued to post-shift outings and drinks, days out, seeing shows together, and I was rarely home in the evenings, often racing for the last train of the night, making the most of being in the city with so much to do, and so many friends to be with. As my five and a half weeks drew to an end, I couldn’t help but be emotional about the goodbye. I knew I had more exciting times ahead, friends to make, work to do, but I was devastated to leave my friends and life in Perth.

In Adelaide, I worked several jobs across the two festivals that were happening. Most weeks I worked 50+ hours, getting home late at night and up early the next day. I gained insight into new roles and experiences, developed my skills in new technical programs and FOH, and felt the satisfaction of shaping peoples’ experiences in the arts. Returning to the city a year after my first experience there meant I found familiarity. I was reminded of what I enjoyed about it last time I was there, besides the people, many of whom were fellow backpackers who moved on a long while ago. Fringe is such a fun time of year, with so much entertainment and opportunity. The city is surrounded by greenery, and calmer than other Australian cities. I reconnected with friends who still live there and went to new places with them. I also met more people, including several Australians (some local, others from interstate) who made me feel so at home and content. My housemates who I lived with for the month were so welcoming (just like in Perth – I have been so lucky to find homes with lovely people) and although our schedules were vastly conflicting, we managed several breakfast hangouts, a beach picnic, and a home cooked farewell dinner. The connections I made here felt deep and full of potential. Like in Perth, I made the effort to see lots of shows, often running (or cycling) from one place to another to catch something. 

I knew my time in Adelaide would be over so quickly – I was only there for four weeks – but I almost had whiplash from how soon it was over. I left a couple of days after the festival to embark on my next adventure, sad but excited and mostly grateful. I am so grateful that in both Perth and Adelaide I had such fun experiences, worked and lived with wonderful people, and made homes that I know I can return to. All my difficult goodbyes are made better with the knowledge that really, I’ll see you all soon.