Things I have learnt on this journey

This is not an exhaustive list.

• There are more handsome men per capita in Amsterdam than any other city I've ever visited.
• I need to change the way I think of myself as a musician. I need to stop trying to be a "band" and learn how to be an artist. And I don't need to limit myself to music. In practical terms, I think this means abandoning the commercial path and embracing new forms of self expression.
• People in souvenir shops in Berlin either have very sad lives or else they need to find a new career.
• People on the street in Europe don't smile. Don't try to smile at them. It won't work.
• I really enjoy writing. Although most of this blog has been a practical record, I have loved publishing the occasional post where I can write more emotionally. Maybe part of my expression as an artist should be a permanent blog?
• Young women in Poland are intimidatingly beautiful.
• I need to stop using beat loops so much. Listening to my music I've remembered that I can make my own beats and that they make my music more authentic.
• My fears and insecurities run deeper than I had thought. I can't keep thinking I can overcome them on my own. Throwing myself in the deep end has proven that.
• My trip to Europe 3 years ago is no longer an anomaly. I've done it again. I can do it again in the future. That means that, though I shouldn't waste my time, I don't need to stress out that I have to do everything. From now on I will travel every year, probably not for 5 weeks at a time, but at least a couple.
• Of all the cities I have lived in or visited in all my life, London is my favourite.
• I feel limited in Adelaide. Either I need to make an effort to dig deeper there or move to a bigger mine.
• A shaved head suits me.
• If you keep doing the same things, expect to get the same results. Actually, I already knew this but the trip has reinforced it.
• I need to dance more often.
• I'm in this on my own. I need to stop trying to validate my experiences through the approval and recognition of others. Also, I care too much what people think of me, sometimes to the point of paralysis.
• Train travel has a downside.
• Some health issues I thought I had are probably related to stress rather than anything else. And stressing about them and dwelling on them in the past has probably just made them worse. When I removed the stress they disappeared.
• Pear infused vodka is delicious.
• If I feel overwhelmed, I should listen to music or get creative.
• I prefer colder weather.
• I can live in the moment after all!
• I really enjoy kissing a man with a decent beard.
• When I don't make the effort to connect with strangers it's often not because I can't but rather that I don't actually want to. I just think I need to/should.
• I worry too much.
• Europeans don't like wearing bright colours.
• Reality is created in our brains every second of every day (Robert Rich). That's a powerful thing to realize.
• Going out to dance need not be a drama or big production.
• I take language for granted. My experiences in Europe have changed me. I want to make sure I don't squander the gift of language whenever I have it. And next time I travel to Europe I should make an effort to have more language skills under my belt ... or just accept that it won't be easy.
• The upside of traveling solo is you get to do exactly what you want to 100% of the time. This at least partly offsets the things you don't do because you're traveling solo.
• The downside of traveling solo is that it can get bitterly lonely.
• The 5 weeks I spent away looking outward felt far longer at the time than a typical 5 weeks I spend at home looking inward.