when we were travellers
Hi there,
It’s not just the need for a holiday that’s finally got to me. I’m missing the travelling bit of travel. Trains, planes, late-night taxis across cities I don’t know yet, buses to the beach. A boat winding between the closely-spaced islands. I can really think when I’m on the move.
I read, listen to podcasts and audio books, look out of the window and daydream. I watch films in a different way on a long-haul flight. I eavesdrop, an obsolete pastime thee days. I’ve just started to really miss it all, with a deep hunger.
The photo above is from a deserted beach on a tiny island whose name I can’t remember that I visited as part of a trip sailing through the Greek Cyclades islands in summer 2016. I took myself back there to write and record an episode for a new podcast, Fantasy Holidays in a time of COVID (it’s open to anyone, you could contribute an episode too).
Why do I call my episode fictional? That’s a line I’ve been walking along for a number of recent projects. While I have my diary and notes from that time, I find that when I’m switched off from life, relaxed and having fun, my memory isn’t as detailed. We spent a whole day of the trip on that beach in the photo above, but I can’t remember the name of the island, nor can I find it in my notes or on the official itinerary for the trip.
In fictionalising the story, I can see the shape of the trip in my memory now; it might well seem bigger and more important to me now. It has become a more complete story now, with a references to Homer and his most famous work Ulysses, as reimagined by Tennyson in his poem (the final line of which gives this newsletter its name), running through the piece. People don’t talk like that in real life, but in fiction, I’m trying to get by on poetic licence.
I really hope we can all go on holiday next year, safely, and without worry.
You can listen to the podcast episode here, or below on the Spotify player. Click through for info on contributing your own episode, it’s like therapy:
Links of the week
Kim Kardashian West continues her plan of alienating me personally with her 40th birthday celebrations
I’ve been watching:
Sarah Cooper’s Netflix special Everything’s Fine
And this:
I’ve been listening to Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia:
What I’ve been up to
I’ve been judging for the Audio Production Awards and the British Journalism Awards. You should apply next time, especially when you can do so for free (the BJAs in particular are waiving fees for marginalised groups). Worst case scenario? A load of industry people take in your work and get to know your name. Best case scenario? You win, meet new people, experience a career boost.
The key to entering awards? The moment that form’s submitted or the email’s sent, throw it out of your mind. Keep so busy, enter so many awards and competitions that, if the rejection comes, you can barely remember sending it off. Always be moving onto the next thing. If congratulations happen to come your way, well, won’t that be nice?
I’m on the 200th episode of The Week Unwrapped, and it’s a fun money-themed one:
Here’s an old piece from me, about growing up wanting to escape a small town on the edge of London
If you enjoy my work & fancy buying me a virtual coffee, I’d be delighted (and will hopefully experience a virtual caffeine rush):
https://ko-fi.com/suchandrika