"Standing alone doesn't mean I am alone. It means I'm strong enough to handle things all by myself."
As this is my last week here in England - I can't help but start to see the finish line. Even for a lad whose used to being away from home, family and friends for long periods of time - it's still nice to get back and just makes coming home that much better. Absence makes the heart grow fonder right?! About a week ago, I caught myself day dreaming of home. Coming back to spend quality time with my Mum and Dad, seeing my mini-lion cat Rusty, catching up with all my friends and relaxing while sinking a few brews on my balcony in some decent weather *bliss*. If only the world could stop for just a few weeks so I can take in everything and see everyone. The sad reality is - apart from seeing my parents - I won't get to do any of the above. My ever nagging schedule - which increases by every nek minnit - soon awoke me from my dream. I arrive home to paradise AKA Wellington on the 10th of April. From there I travel to Palmerston North on the 19th, Alexandra on the 23rd, Invercargil on the 25th, Havelock North on the 29th, Mt Maunganui on the 1st of May, Waikato on the 3rd then set off on the 8th for three tournaments in Australia in Darwin, Alice Springs and Perth before coming home to play the National Club Championships in Auckland on the 1st of June before - selection depending - heading to Mullhouse in France on the 4th to represent New Zealand at the World Men's Teams Championships. How's that for a schedule of tournaments and travel? All of a sudden, my dreams of spending time at home has been defined to just 8 days in April and a day or two here and there in May. The great/funny part is that that's not even half of the NZ season and isn't even the busy part!! Oh the life of a squash player. Jokes aside, I do need to sit down and really plan out my year so I target the right events and avoid becoming stale, unmotivated or hitting the wall mentally and physically. Oh, and a holiday wouldn't go a miss either :P
Being an avid music fan, you'll very rarely find me without my iPod. I find music fantastic for helping me focus - while I read/type, while I'm soloing on court, while I'm naturally finishing my set or bludgering through bike sessions in the gym or while I'm commuting back and forward from training. It helps pick up my moods, relaxs me when I'm stressed, takes my mind a million miles away from myself when I need it most and pumps me up before matches. As I look out over the very picturesque Leeds city as my train approaches the station - I can't help but ponder what I'd do without music. The amount of times I've smiled continuously during songs I haven't heard for awhile or hearing certain songs that bring up lasting memories of great moments in my life or as the lyrics and beat of my favourite electronica splash into my ears and make my head bob - it seems like I have life tunes! I'll never forget listening to 'come alive' by Netsky moments before playing one of my biggest matches last year in Brazil - moments before literally coming alive - moments before becoming a giant killer at the tournament. Ever since I got my first Walkman when I was about 7 - ironically the same age I started playing Squash - me and music have never been apart.
As I continue to ponder and break my trip down in all aspects - squash wise, lifestyle wise and growing up wise - I can't help but be proud of what I've achieved in my first major overseas trip. Obviously if I was in NZ I would've trained hard aswell, but there's no way I would've learnt as much or come as far. Looking at it literally - this trip has cost an absolute fortune but I'm hoping to put everything into action so not only do I continue to succeed at the NZ tournaments, but to take that momentum into the professional circuit too to continue my upward climb on the PSA World Rankings and stamp my mark!
I thought it would be fun to compile a list of things I would miss from England and things I wouldn't miss... Here goes!
Things I'll miss:
Access to a better standard of players on a daily basis
Malcolms sessions
Food prices
- 60c Garlic bread, $1 Skittles, $2 baskets of fruit to name a few
Cooking for myself every night
English banter
Getting away with things because of my accent
Cheap taxis
17 inch tins on the squash court
- as opposed to the traditional 19 inch tins
Getting corn on my subway sandwiches
Things I won't miss:
Commuting for atleast an hour to get anywhere
Expensive train fares
The amount of people in the main cities
English real ale beer
The weather
Having no family or close friends here
The pound and its coins
- still can't work them out, and 1p and 2p coins... C'mon England, get with the times!!
Not being able to work legally
Not being able to restrings my own rackets
Doing my final pack before I head to London for the weekend, I can't help but feel like I'm leaving a part of myself over here. A part I will most certainly be coming back to collect in the near future. I'm dreading the long trip home, which involves roughly 26 hours of flying. The flying itself isn't so bad, but it's the knowing that with every minute that ticks over, it makes me a minute closer to getting home. Anticipation, anxiety and excited-ness. When this happens I could swear the 'time to final destination' clock on the planes goes backwards!! I always think "is this some kind of sick joke?!" haha. After back-to-back 12 hour flights, I'll be checking into the Koru Lounge at the Sydney airport before my final leg to Wellington - shower, comfy seats, buffet meals and Steiny Pure - get in!!
Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me - not just on this trip but throughout - for their generousity. Thanks to everyone who subscribed to this blog and especially to those of you who wrote back to share your stories, gave me feedback or critiquing and filled me in on whats been happening at home. I've been given a link to start a blogging website, but I think I like the feel of doing it this way more as it feels more personal to me and hopefully to you all too, instead of having anybody stumble upon it on the internet. I'm still unsure whether to continue blogging while I back in NZ and touring in Australia, I guess time will tell.
In the mean time, I hope you all enjoyed my blog as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope everyone is doing well, and I can't wait to catch up with you all at some stage.
Until then - au revoir, auf weiterzen, ciao, ELLO LUV!!
