Sabbatical: Recap

Finally some time to reflect on my year off or 'sabbatical' as I like to call it.

I sit here in Auckland this late summers afternoon with a severe bout of Gastritis. Defined in the dictionary as ‘excessive use of alcohol, rich or spicy foods, stress or use of certain medications’.  Yes, there has been fair share of all of the above. But being knocked down has been a chance to put my feet up and reflect on what has been a pretty memorable year off.

In recent weeks it has been great to enjoy the festivities of the kiwi summer, meeting new friends and make plans for my next chapter. House sitting in Parnell I have enjoyed another side of Auckland from my previous experiences in Ponsonby and Herne Bay. Access to the stunning eastern beaches and lifestyle that comes with it has been a refreshing take on the city I have come and gone from for over 6 years.

I did however leave a year ago this week on a plane bound for the USA. First stop the interactive conference that is SXSW in Austin Texas. The next 12 months were to go like a blur. There was no stopping the train I had set in motion. I had planned for my year off two years earlier. Having trusted staff in place and thus managing myself out of my business, I set about checking through a list of festivals, friends, family, cities, events I had always wanted to see. From networking in the US to seeing family in Canada. A European summer friends and connecting with friends in London. Attending leading festival Glastonbury and Tomorrowland. Spending time travelling with my sister Sarah and meeting people along the way. Here was my chance to tick a few boxes and enjoy a year away after thinking about my business for 10 years!

A year on, I now find myself thinking back of some of the places and faces I visited and fell in love with.  Istanbul was a definitely a highlight. Rather than rush around trying to do all the sites and beach we ended up having a 5-day city break with my sister and my friend Brook. Our lazy days consisted of waking up late, a strong Turkish coffee before shopping in the Gran Bazar.  A long lunch of roasted lamb, crisp salad and fresh Turkish bread.  More shopping before dragging our bags back to our apartment at Taskin Square, stopping for an afternoon beer overlooking the Bosphorus. Then a little nap and out to enjoy the nightlife of this buzzing trans-continental city. And it couldn't be a week with out a festival thrown in, attending Coke hosted by Netsky LIVE on the last date of the tour.

Amsterdam as well.  I’d heard the stories and knew I would be charmed by this liberal and original Dutch village-like hub.  It has been a center of business and pleasure for centuries.  Sarah and I arrived mid-July smack bang in the middle of summer. The canals brimming with those celebrating the Gay Pride Parade.  Bikes, boobs and beers all took precedent. Afternoons spent lazing in the hazy park. Laughing about the previous nights festivities. Eating, drinking, being merry having a gay old time. Not literally but you get the drift.

And of course reconnecting and returning to some of my favourites cities.  Two months in living LA was a special time.  The creativity and positivity that drips in the air is infectious.  The people I met and the dedication to their dream was inspiring.  The traffic. The smog. The sparse beaches. The greasy food.  The potential of success in a thriving entertainment hub. Part charming and addictive in its own special way. Not for everyone but definitely for me.

Montreal is another charming city I was able to return to. My cousin Bruce Hills runs the Just For Laughs festival there. Was great to connect up with family and friends I had spent time with in the summer of 2006.

And London in mid-summer is a site to behold. The streets, pubs, parks brimming with locals and tourists alike. Lords, Wimbeldon, Hyde Park. Victoria Park. Hopping between friends flats in Clapham and Angel, experiencing two distinctly different parts of the city. Pints at lunch time. Pints at dinner time. A royal baby was born. A right royal time was had. 

Festival wise there were so many highlights chose from. Finally getting to Glastonbury was a dream come true.  I did catch myself staring teary eyed across Worthy Farm on numerous occasions, overcome with being present in the moment.  The size, the scale and the history. The Stones on Saturday night Pyramid Stage. It doesn’t get much bigger. What a weekend. Closely followed by Coachella in Los Angeles.  Ultra in Miami. The EDM explosion. Swedish House Mafia bowing out at the top of their game. The global event that is Tomorrowland in Belgium.  Exit Festival in Serbia. FOR Festival in Hvar.  Lovebox in London.  Hearing my favourite DJ Diplo play about 8 times. Get Free on repeat. Deep house at Hula Hula in Hvah. Disclosure next to a lake in France. Everyone dropping Get Lucky. The sounds of summer 2013.

Get Free - Major Lazer

Disclosure - White Noise

Avicii - Wake Me Up

Get Lucky - Daft Punk

It wasn’t all play. If you can call our working in an industry you are passionate about work.  I kept in touch with our committed and passionate team via email and skype where I could passing on contacts, thoughts, information and advice.  A memorable Directors meeting took place in a courtyard of a Serbian resteraunt in Novi Sad, while the Exit festival organisers waited patiently for us to join them for drinks.  Being on the road meant I could attending leading conferences such as SXSW in Austin, Winter Music Conference in Miami, IMS Engage. And keep my business side in check with entreprenuerial conferences such as TED Global and Power of Youth in Delhi. Winning a Tourism Award meant I had meeting with top tourism brass in Wellington earlier this month to discuss the state of the industry. The hustle never really stops!

The food will always be memorable.  'Bitter balls' on the beach in The Hauge washed down with a large pint of Dutch lager.  The burger at Dime Bar in Clapham, London. Spicy cuban pork and steamed cabbage in Miami.  Sticky Stubbs BBQ in Austin.  The sweet taste of a freshly poured Chai on the streets of Delhi. A spicy Pinot Noir on Xmas Day in Wanaka. An apple pie at a cafe in Amsterdam. Fresh crab in San Fransisco. Take me back!

Although my own sports really consisted of a few jogs I was fortunate enough to see some great endeavours. Watching the Oakland A's beat the World Series champs the San Fransisco Giants with my Uncle Richard.  Seeing Andy Murry reach the Wimbledon final on a jam-packed Henman Hill.  A slow yet glorious days play at Lords holding out the Aussie attack. And finally two weeks in San Fransisco watching Team NZ capitulate in the America's Cup. The first week was pure bliss. The second week was a slow heart ache, as the trophy slowly removed from what had been a firm grasp. Was fair to say I limped out of town with our tail between our legs.

As I think back a perfect day for me on my sabbatical would have to be in LA in May.  A run down to Huntington Beach in the morning followed by a milky trim vanilla latte, an egg white spinach wrap before attending to some emails.  Prawn tacos for lunch in the salty sea air of Sunset Beach.  A massage at the local strip mall and a nap.  An afternoon spent creative writing, playing guitar and reading in the hammock. Cracking a Blue Moon and getting the BBQ firing.  Laughing profusely with my hosts Kim and Katie like some sort of US sit-com. These are the memories I will cherish forever.

 

My travels and work commitments bought me back to Nz in October as spring had sprung. After an unsettling time returning to some sense of normality it was down to Wanaka to get to work in the Southern Alps on our new festival Rhythm and Alps.  Running around Lake Wanaka before working our event with was like a dream. Building and leading a new team was a challenge.  Delivering a new sellout festival was the reward.

And on to enjoy the beauty of the kiwi summer. Time at our farm in Levin and the 90^th Birthday of my Grandmother. Time relaxing around the pool in Hawkes Bay.  Attending some new events like the Polo and all the shenanigans that went with it. Boating on the Waitemata Harbour. Frequenting the new resteraunts nightlife that has finally made Auckland a global city.  Attending weddings and catching up with old friends. A new look Big Day Out even if you did have to wait for a beer. The new look Nines league tournament at Eden Park. Eminem at Western Springs. What a summer it has been. New Zealand - you have outdone yourself.

Eminem - Rap God 

I now I reflect with a bittersweet reminice, as my lost love of 2013 drifts away beyond reach.  The year off far exceeded my expectations.  It has left me inspired and recharged, if not a little flat at times, far from the highs I reached.  I smile at the moments, the mischief, the memories that I will have forever.  I only scratched the surfaces on a number of new friendships and relationships. Explored new cities I hope to return to, some to one day make my new home. I have been out of my comfort zone on a number of occasions.  Surrounded by familiar friends and close family on others.  It was fun getting blown by the wind at times.  In and out of reality. In and out of soberness. In and out of customs. In and out of motivation. In and out of love. But yet content. And happy.

And so as March descends and autumn calls, it ends.

Or does it?