2011 -- what a full year!

2011 was a monumental year for me. The last year of my 20s, opening a community art space, mail art 365, and travel in 5 countries--new zealand, singapore, australia, japan, thailand. My resolutions were creativity, vulnerability and circus. I feel i did pretty ok on the first two, but the third one still needs a great deal of work.

From Boxing day 2010 to Boxing day 2011, I made a piece of mail art every day. I don't know another time in my life when I did something creative everyday for such an extended period of time. Now, in the new year, I feel that I need to find another way of sustaining creativity and motivation. Maybe once the jetlag and head cold disappear.... anyway, here's the year in review!


January

Keeli moved to nz and stayed with us in our tiny house all month. We all had lots of adventures. Moira & i found our new living space, and I started to bake lots of bread. I volunteered once a week for Ooooby in exchange for a box of vegetables.

February


We packed up all our things and I made more bread. also, cookie faery and lantern festival. Wrote reviews for Auckland Fringe Festival.

March


moved into alphabet city, started to make a home and an art space. i went to the bay of islands and flew in a tiny plane. keeli moved back in after several weeks away.

April

more set up, new press materials, lots of yummy food baked.

May

Melbourne and Rotorua. Came back from MEL feeling down on Auckland and started to get the winter blues big time. Our house is really drafty and I was not prepared for what winter would be like in NZ, esp. when looking/reading/seeing so much fun happening in my American friends' spring and summer

June


We opened! and yet, i was really sad and lonely. Winter was hitting me hard.

July


Zine library, newspaper articles, zine fest events, and kitty kitty meow meow, our first foster kitty. I think this was the month Keeli moved to Hamilton. I started to work for pay for Ooooby, who i had just been volunteering for, previously.

August



We went to Thailand and briefly, to singapore. I was still lonely in NZ, but feeling better about it after knowing that travel was a real possibility and a way for me to feel less isolated. Really enjoyed spending quality holiday time with my girlfriend. 2 year anniversary.

September

warmer weather meant feeling better about Auckland and getting excited about new things, new friends, rugby world cup. Cooked more and more Thai food. Spent a lot of time missing nevers

October

Bought tUnE-yArDs tickets (was totally obsessed with band all year long) and our house was set on fire. Reading more and more books. I learned some new things and we got a new foster kitty (who, for better or worse, I haven't bonded with as much as kitty kitty meow meow)

November


turned 30, out of town guests, art auction to raise money for my immigration, met john waters, letterpress printing projects

December

letterpress printing, xmas tree, and both Moira and I quit our jobs (she has a new job, i don't yet). Oh, and surprise trip to Tokyo! $600 NZD (about $450USD) RT tickets showed up on the 15th, with set dates of the 21 or 22 - 31. We (+ keeli) jumped at the opportunity.

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as always, more evidence available on flickr