I have been on more than my fair share of great holidays. I have been on planes, trains, ships, trams, boats, buses and even elephants as a means to get around, but I have to say that some of the best holidays that I have ever had in my life have involved road tripping. There is nothing like a road trip to get your senses going and your interests flowing and in my opinion, road tripping may well be the best way to spend your holiday time. 
A road trip gives you loads more time to reflect, stop and smell the flowers. You can literally pull over and get your fill of the landscape at any time. And unlike being stuck in a tour group or on some other vessel that is just going from A to B, a road trip allows you to go at your own pace and take as many detours as you like. Every road sign is a potential adventure and an opportunity to take in something new or explore another area.
You don't have to go far to have a road trip adventure either. A road trip can last a day, a weekend, a week, a month or however long you want to take your holiday for. You can pursue a road trip in your own country (Australia has the best road trip opportunities - so blessed here) or you can plan to travel abroad. Craig and I road tripped from Germany to Italy in a car and it was nothing short of amazing, we also road tripped France and England together, we've taken our family and road tripped across the North Island of New Zealand and I have done short road trips to Sydney and Canberra with my kids as well and I can honestly say that all of those holidays were easily some of the best that we have ever had. 
Another great thing about road tripping is that it is a cheaper and more convenient form of travel than any other transport and as long as your car is in pretty good working order, it's super easy as well. Just fill up your tank and go, any day at any time. You can literally head off at any given moment to explore the countryside and decide where to stay as you go. We usually stay at Airbnb's which is generally a pretty cheap option, but if you've got a caravan or an RV, well that's even easier and cheaper as well.
The thing that I love best about a road tripping is the complete freedom of it. I love blasting my favourite playlists and singing up my tunes, making memories and sharing special moments with my family, operating outside of any schedules or work commitments and just being in the moment 100%. An open and unknown road really can give you all of that. And let's not forget that incredible feeling that you get when you come home after a couple of weeks on the road and you have totally reinvigorated your awareness around how amazing your life and your home actually are. A road trip definitely heightens your awareness, not only to the amazing adventures that you've enjoyed but also around how incredible it is to return to the comfort of your home after the fact. 
Yes, I really do love to go road tripping and having adventures on the holidays, but for me there really is no place like home, and for that reason I know that I am definitely not made for a full time nomadic existence, no matter how much the open road beckons to me. 

NOMADLAND
Release Date: 2021
Rating: M 
Running Time: 107 mins 
An American drama film written, edited, produced and directed by Chloé Zhao and based on the 2017 non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder. I think that being based on a non-fiction book has made this movie feel very authentic, in fact the entire movie plays out just as a documentary would. There are even real life nomads (Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells) all portraying fictionized versions of themselves here which really adds a lot of depth and credence to the tale. 
Over the course of a year we follow Fern (Frances McDormand), a reclusive nomadic woman who is mourning the loss of her husband and traveling across America in an old camper van. Along the way we experience the highs and lows of Fern's voyage through the people that she encounters on the road, the impermanent work that she undertakes and the places that she visits along the way. 
Nomadland won the Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Director awards at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, however I think that it is the incredible sweeping landscapes and cinematography that make this film truly unmissable.  I definitely recommend viewing Nomadland on a big screen if you can,  however be warned, the lure to jump into an RV and hit the open road is somewhat overwhelming and you may find yourself planning your next road trip after seeing this. 
FINAL SAY: I'll see you down the road.
4 Chilli Peppers ​

By definition, mantra is a Sanskrit word that means a sacred utterance of numerous sounds, syllables or words. Many languages have mantras that are believed to hold religious, magical or spiritual powers. In modern and westernised spiritual practises, the word mantra has become the mainstream word for intention, but in truth mantra and intention are quite different.
The word mantra can be broken down into two words. The first being 'man' which means mind and 'tra' which means transport or vehicle. In other words a mantra is an instrument for moving your mind from one state of being into another. It is a way of triggering a shift in your mindset, which is clearly quite different from setting an intention. 
Just like planting a seed into fertile soil to get the best results, when you plant your mantra over and over in your mind you will also get the best results. Basically, you need to shift your consciousness to more abundant patterns of thinking by repeating your mantra to yourself during meditation, times of focus or when the need to 'shift gears' arises. The key to a successful mantra is all in the repetition. 
When you undertake a course in transcendental meditation with a qualified practitioner, you are given a personal mantra which is usually in the form of a 2 or 3 syllable chant. However, you don't have to go to a professional to set yourself a mantra or chant, you just have to find a saying, sound or group of words that transport your mind to a better or higher frequency of thinking and feeling. 
I have had many mantras over the years. Some have been short and sweet and yet still very effective like "I am strong" "I am focused" and "I can let go." Others have been chants or chimes, bells or transcendental vibration noises. Most recently I have adopted the following mantra:
"Where attentions goes, energy flows"
I say the first three words on the inhale and the last two on the exhale when meditating. However, I have used this mantra to help others as well by gently reminding them about what they are pouring their energy into and whether it deserves as much of their attention and energy as they are giving it. I say this to myself when I feel like I am entering a power struggle, beginning to play into some else's drama or getting caught up in  negative thought patterns about someone else, myself or a situation. 
At the end of the day, a mantra is supposed to bring you back to simplicity, which if done correctly, will support you in protecting your energy as well, which is what I wrote about in my last blog post. We live in a complex world and it is so easy to get lost in all of the details. Having a mantra can help you to keep circling back to a simplistic approach to life and to help you to focus on those things that inspire and truly make you happy, so why not give it a go and create your own mantra, what have you got to lose? 

BLACK IS KING
Release Date: 2020
Rating: M
Running Time: 85 mins 
There is no disputing that Beyoncé is not everyone's cup of tea, but after Lemonade I was more than willing to have a look at Black is King and I was definitely not disappointed. 
A musical and visual album that was directed, written and produced by Beyoncé herself, the film serves as a visual companion to the 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift, a tie-in album curated by Beyoncé for The Lion King. 
The story revolves around a young African prince that is exiled from his kingdom after his father passes away. When he becomes a man, he embarks on a journey to discover his true identity and purpose. He is protected and guided by his ancestors and eventually reclaims his rightful place upon the throne again. 
The music, dances, costumes, themes and sets are all simply divine and the overall experience is a complete transcendence into sight, sound and spirit. There is a lot to love here, and if like me you are a fan of artistic expression and creativity, you will love this as well. 
FINAL SAY: Find Your Way
​4 Chilli Peppers ​

I try to be zen about things. Sometimes being zen means setting boundaries so that you can protect your energy. This is not a selfish thing to do, it's wise and wonderful. If you protect your energy then you will have more in the tank for the things that you find most important. You will be able to prioritize better, focus more and generally stay in the zen zone, even when things are hardly zen at all. 
The other day I forgot to meditate. Not that big of a deal, I just got super busy and forgot to sit down and turn on my timer on insight and record my meditation effort. I had a super mindful day and was actually zenning out and reflecting quite a bit throughout the day, I just didn't record it. As a consequence of not recording any actual meditation on the app that I use, I lost a 335 day meditation streak on insight timer, and I was so determined to clock 365 days of meditation in a row this year. I was so angry and disappointed with myself for forgetting to sit and turn that app on, I was a bit crushed and pretty peeved. And then I realised that I was pouring way too much energy and emphasis on maintaining my streak of consecutive days rather than the actual act of meditation.
It was almost like I was being given the ultimate test of shifting my focus from the consecutive streak day stats to the actual act of meditating and letting go. Well, I don't actually have to let go of the goal, I can still aim to reach 365 consecutive days of meditation, it's just going to take me a while longer now and hey, I've made my peace with that and it's totally okay. However, when I first realised that I had lost my streak I never for a second stopped to think about just how amazing it was to get to 335 consecutive days of meditation, I just looked at it as a personal failure.
Staying zen when things don't turn out the way that you had hoped or planned that they would is probably one of the most challenging things that any of us will ever face.  And that's why it's crucial that you protect your energy, stay focused on what really matters and shake off the setbacks and reframe them as potential areas of growth. Bashing yourself for every error and shortcoming, fighting yourself and others whenever things don't go as planned and struggling to find the big picture are all ways to really burn out your energy and waste your time. 
Other things that you can be doing on the daily to protect your energy in small but significant ways are:

• Not answering the phone when you don't want to talk.
• Replying to text messages when it suits you.
• Speaking kindly to yourself when you're dealing with uncomfortable feelings.
• Waking up earlier to ground yourself before the day gets busy.
• Letting go and not feeling like you need to fight to be right.
• Choosing your battles wisely - knowing when to hold them and when to fold them. 
• Leaving events, conversations and interactions when your energy is being drained (peacefully stepping away).
• Knowing that putting yourself first every now and then is not selfish, it's smart.
• Taking time to restore, relax and reflect every day. 

Don't allow situations, other people or setbacks dictate how your day, week, month or year are going to pan out. Protect your energy and be kind to yourself daily. Don't let the little things hijack your amygdala, you are the only one who can determine how your energy is going to be used, so take control and covet it. Don't waste it, channel your unique and beautiful energy into being a better and more balanced you.

POSSESSOR
Release Date: 2020
Rating: R 18+
Running Time: 103 mins 
A science fiction horror film written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg. Let me start by saying that this film is not an easy watch. Just like his father David Cronenberg, Brandon has his gore levels set to stun. I saw the uncut version and although this is a truly stylish and engaging sci-fi horror, it is also extremely graphic and violent so I feel compelled to offer a caution to viewers of a sensitive nature around the confronting material in this movie. 
In an alternate 2008, Tasya Vos - an assassin with the capability to control other people's bodies, undertakes another big job. However, this time when Vos enters her host's body to perform the hit, there are complications and things rapidly spiral out of control. 
The acting, storyline and effects are so mesmerising in Possessor, which makes the unrelentingly aggression and violence a little more tolerable. I really enjoyed the gripping ending and loved the overall feel of this eerie 'body snatching' movie. And maybe I'm losing my edge as I get older by saying this, but some of the intensely violent kill scenes just felt a bit unnecessary and in my opinion, could've been scaled back without sacrificing the integrity of the film in any way. But that's just me, see it and decide for yourself. 
FINAL SAY: Pull me out.
3.5 Chilli Peppers ​

March has kicked off with a flurry of celebration, festivity and fun. Since I last posted things have been hectic in the most delightful of ways. Last weekend Zoe and Ben joined us in Ballarat for a belated Chinese New Year dinner celebration on Saturday evening and then we all attended Summer Salt together on the following Sunday. I cannot even begin to tell you how much joy live music brought back to my life on that day. You really do forget just how marvellous it feels to be in a huge crowd of people all singing together and getting into the vibe of it on a brilliant sun-shiny day. It honestly rejuvenated me in ways that I cannot even explain in words, it was just so damn good for my soul!
The line up of performers was stellar and everyone that performed was clearly just as happy to be in front of a live audience again as much as we were all glad to be back in a crowd of adoring fans. We all greatly enjoyed Nat Vazer, Montaigne, Boy and Bear, John Butler, The Teskey Brothers and The Cat Empire together, sank a few drinks and swayed to the music as the sun went down on a day that none of us will forget in a hurry.  It was a wonderful way to farewell the Summer, share some time with loved ones and reconnect to the electric energy that you can only get from large music festivals once again. 
On Monday night I hit the couch to take in the 2021 Golden Globe Awards which was a bit of an understated event due to the COVID-19 restrictions. However, all things considered I still watched it all, enjoyed seeing all of the cast and crew in their own homes (some looking more glamorous than others) and was genuinely not at all surprised by the outcomes (listed below).  I think that my favourite recipient of the evening was Sacha Baron Cohen  who deservingly won Best actor and Best Motion Picture in a musical/ comedy motion picture for Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.  I think that Baron Cohen may be one of the most interesting and intriguing people on the planet to me right now, and he never fails to make me smile when he is on screen. 
This weekend, also the March labour day long weekend, I hit the highway on Friday night and headed to Zoe and Ben's in Bendigo to attend a weekend yoga festival. I absolutely love yoga, but I gotta say that after being in downward facing dog for the better part of 5 odd hours on Saturday, when I arose on Sunday morning I felt pretty stiff and was feeling the burn in some muscles that I didn't know even know that I had anymore. However, it was an awesome couple of days of getting zen, stretching, meditating, eating great food and spending time with my beautiful daughter and her partner. I even got to take in the Artists market, Farmers market and Mill Market in Castlemaine on Sunday on the way home, so I came home with a swag of goodies and even managed to get some early Easter shopping done as well. 
Today I have quietly spent International Women's Day resting and rebooting my system for the week ahead and reflecting on how wonderful my last few weeks have been. I can't even express how genuinely grateful I am to have been able to enjoy all of these special moments and quality time with the people that I love so much, it has really been a time of great celebration and enjoyment for me. Here's hoping that I can keep this high vibe of mine rolling for the rest of the term; I got the momentum going now, so I say - let's just keep on rolling....
2021 Golden Globe winners
Best motion picture, drama
Nomadland 

Best actress in a motion picture, drama
Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday 

Best actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm 

Best motion picture, musical or comedy
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

 Best director, motion picture
Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

Best actor in a motion picture, drama
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best limited series or TV movie
The Queen's Gambit 

Best actress in a limited series or TV movie​
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit 

Best supporting actress in a TV role
Gillian Anderson, The Crown 

Best actress in a supporting role in any motion picture​
Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian 

Best TV series, drama
The Crown 

Best motion picture, foreign language​
Minari (USA) 

Best actor in a TV series, drama​
Josh O'Connor, The Crown 

Best actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy
Rosamund Pike, I Care a Lot 

Best TV series, musical or comedy​
Schitt's Creek

Best actor in a TV series, musical or comedy​
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso 

​Best original score, motion picture
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste - Soul

Best original song, motion picture​
Io Si (Seen), The Life Ahead 

Best actress in a TV series, drama​
Emma Corrin, The Crown

Best screenplay, motion picture​
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7 

Best actor in a limited series or TV movie
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much is True  

Best motion picture, animated​
Soul 

Best actress in a TV series, musical or comedy​
Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek

Best supporting actor in a TV role
John Boyega, Small Axe 

Best actor in a supporting role in any motion picture
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah 

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
Release Date: 2020
Rating: MA 15+
Running Time: 130 mins 
An historical real-life drama written and directed by Aaron Sorkin and released on Netflix due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trial of the Chicago 7 went on to receive wide critical acclaim for its excellent screenplay, stellar performances and its modern parallels to the 1960s. 
Seven men find themselves on trial for various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. 
This is one of the most interesting and engaging courtroom dramas that I have seen in an age and the incredible cast are really bringing out their best here. Sacha Baron Cohen practically steals the show in every scene that he is in and even landed himself a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor due to his amazing performance. However it must be said that the cast is across the board, with incredible and notable performances delivered from Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lynch, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Frank Langella. 
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a dramatization of a significantly important event that not only resonates with current political events but also demonstrates the power and passion of the people when it comes to human rights. 
FINAL SAY: We carried ideas across state lines. Not machine guns or drugs or little girls. Ideas. 
4 Chilli Peppers ​