Tresor de Jour

Real Life Mogli

Court — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:08:15 +0000

This kid makes me realize that my childhood, which was spent camping in tree hunts and exploring our backyard forest is not nearly as cool as this little Frenchie’s.
Meet Tippi Degré, the child of two French photographers who lived life on the Wild side in Africa…

She spent the first 10 years of her life living like Mogli from the Jungle book and managed to survive, without even being attacked.
Animals are such amazing creatures.

She is now 23, has multiple books, a documentary and lives life under the radar.
Coolest.Kid.Ever.

Image source and full article here.

Carefully Avoiding the Status Quo

Court — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:49:22 +0000

One thing I have noticed when I tell people I’m going traveling is that everyone has an assumption of how I will be spending my time overseas.

Here in New Zealand it’s fairly typical for people to move to the UK to work in an office job or nanny for a few years, party a lot, meet up with school friends and probably meet the love of their life and come back to settle down.

That is fine, and while I will be spending time there to meet up with friends and let’s be honest, will definitely party – I certainly don’t plan on living there or even working in advertising. I actually can think of nothing worse. Shock horror.

Plans change, and my current one is fairly loose. All I do know is that working in a seemingly dreary, cold and rainy place does not appeal to me. Believe it or not, squishing grapes between my feet in the sun somewhere in the south of France surrounded by foreigners, or learning how to sail in Greece sounds like much more fun.

I’m not sure why, but I feel really uncomfortable telling people my rough plan. Mainly because nothing is set in stone, but I’ve had a few confused looks when I correct people that I don’t plan on finding a job in advertising. I get that is sounds pretty flighty and gypsy-like, but I see no point in settling down in a city only to end up in the same situation I’m in now.

I have given myself 5 years to do as I please. Who knows, it may end up being shorter or longer – but one can squeeze in a lot of odd job in at that time. I like the idea of my resume being filled with jobs like being a Lifeguard at Summer Camp USA or perhaps a SUP boarding instructor in the Bahamas. I just want to live a life that is worth telling so I can bore my future children with the crazy adventures I had in my 20’s.

Minimalist Living

Court — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:25:44 +0000

One of the things I have most been looking forward to is throwing out everything I own.

All of it.

I have such a strong desire to live a minimalist life.

I have a double wardrobe filled with clothes I don’t wear, products I don’t use and shoes that have barely seen my feet. Yet, I have this god awful fear of throwing anything away juust incase I need to use it.

My parents have been kind enough to allow me to store some things for me for when (or if) I ever come back to New Zealand. The only thing is – Mum has limited me to two boxes only.
The hardest thing for me hasn’t been the sentimental value of all my things, it’s the realization that I have wasted SO much money on shit that I have barely used.

But, I’m not going to beat myself up too much, it’s fairly common and I am one of the lucky ones who get a fresh start.

And sure, I look at house like this:

And it makes me swoon and wish I was living there, and one day maybe I will. But right now I’m in my 20’s. I am about to embark on an adventure where sometimes I may need to run. Fast.
(To catch a flight, not for my life. Fingers crossed) and having a lighter load will make life easier.

I like the idea that for the next couple of years I’m going to be living like a turtle. A turtle that has no intention on coming home with a crippled back because I thought carting my jewelry collection to Machu Picchu was a brilliant idea.

Having an advertising background where my job is to sneakily sell people shit, being surrounded by consumerism on a daily basis, and the fact that I’m a female who loves to shop – this whole minimalistic attitude is certainly going to be tested as I head to the consumer country of the world.

Fresh start baby. It ain’t gonna be easy.