Miskate's made by me My best friend told me to start a blog, so I am.

I just had a long-overdue chat with a friend who is very dear to me and it made me think about how lucky I am to lead the mundane life I am living.  Sounds silly doesn’t it?  I have been blabbing away on here about how incredibly boring my life is etc etc when, really, I’m just lucky that there’s not something breaking up the routine of my weeks, disrupting my regular routine, and generally throwing my whole life out of balance; because generally, those things that shake us to our core are those things that we least want to happen.  So from now on, I’m going to enjoy the constant assurance of my routine and celebrate the small pleasures and changes in daily life.  Sure, I’ll probably still complain about how boring I am, or my life is, but then I’ll just take a minute to stop and contemplate how my day has changed from the one before and how lucky I am that my whole world hasn’t crumbled in some effort to break the monotony for me.

Intro-spective, sorry.

k xx

So..  Last week a friend from uni and I went on a bit of a road trip/excursion out to the north-Victorian wine region of Rutherglen for their annual wine show.  We were alternating between stewarding and associate judging - thank goodness, as tasting over 150 wines in a day is not only tiring, but.. well, let’s just say my denist isn’t going to like me too much!!

However, the experience was truly excellent.  Just being in that environment, with so many passionate people, and knowing without any hint of uncertainty that this is what you want to do with your life (and what you’re well on your way to doing) is possibly one of the best feelings I can imagine.  For me, there has always been a bit of uncertainty in my choice to follow the noble profession of winemaking - moving away from all of my friends and family with absolutely no idea what was in store for me, and in fact not a huge passion for drinking the stuff (initially, much has changed now) was a big leap of faith.  Surviving the first two years of the course, with very little inspiration from the basic science subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry etc., was a good sign - I still wanted to persevere with the course.  Always, though, there was that niggling doubt of ‘do you really know what you’re in for?’ And I didn’t… still don’t really!  It’s an industry that’s ever-changing, and as students we’re constantly being told of the lack of jobs out there, but it’s not enough to deter me.

The wine industry is something that has suckered me in and taken over my life!  It’s funny, after such an intensive week at the wine show - be it tasting or pouring wines all day, talking about wines with the judges/winemakers that were there, or drinking delicious wines and increasing our knowledge at organised dinners to thank us for our help - I’ve now travelled back to my family home, away from all of my wine capers - and I don’t know what to do with myself!  I’m actually reading through any wine magazines we have at home and embracing uni assignments early (not a normal occurrence) - I think I’m having withdrawal symptoms!  haha

So now I’m looking forward to getting a vintage position for the first half of next semester - as an industry experience requirement for our course - hopefully in Margaret River in WA!!  I’ve never been and they produce some fantastic wines, so what better excuse to apply!  Fingers crossed someone wants to hire me!

Well that was my little celebration/epiphany, I hope that something out there takes over your life as much as wine has mine - whatever it may be!

k xx

Well,  at the moment my life is both boring and chaotic.  In one corner I have the boring life I mentioned in an earlier blog post, same old uni every day, work (new job is working out WONDERFULLY, I love it!), and really that’s about it; in the other corner is the chaotic - uni assignments, travelling interstate for wine judging competitions and looking at moving out!  So, rather than outlining the mundane details of my sorry existence I shall instead try to seem somewhat interesting and fool you all with the chaotic details!

1)  Uni Assignments - self explanatory really, this semester is such an odd one with the majority of weeks before the holidays and as such the majority of all assignment tasks for my subjects are also due before the holidays!  They are, however, pretty good assignments, with one outlining the processes used for certain styles of wine throughout the world, and one involving the design and ‘creation’ of a wine label for a certain wine type/style… not bad really!

2)  Travelling interstate for wine judging competitions - oh, I’m sorry - what?  Yes, you heard correctly!  I’m travelling to the Rutherglen, by way of Melbourne, next week to participate in the Rutherglen (5 day!!) wine show, with my friend from uni, as associate judges and stewards!  Should be rather exciting, interesting and full of opportunity and teeth ruination!  Oh gosh I need to marry a dentist if I’m going to keep up this wine career!!

3)  I am currently on the lookout for a delightful new abode, for tea parties and quiet and book reading and oh gosh, neat things!!  Haha!  Yes, that’s right, I’ve finally had enough of the ‘frat house’ that I currently live in and am looking for a new place.  This, of course, comes fraught with all new dangers, such as: will my new housemate be worse than the boys I currently live with? (surely not possible), will I lose contact with the (lovely aspects of the) boys I live with? (doubtful - this place has a pool and summer is coming up!), and HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO MOVE ALL MY CRAP?  The most worrying of all - I have amassed a rather large collection of clothes/furniture/books/beginning on records/other crap!

4)  I am considering singing lessons..  I just enjoy it ever so much, singing along in my car to whatever randomly comes up on my ipod, I think it would be fun!  Also, I am going back to my family home for some of my uni holidays to house-sit my house for my parents as they are going away on holiday (lucky them!), and as such I have decided I will use that as an excuse to get fit.  My plan currently involves taking my dog for runs (or her taking me for runs as the case will surely be), riding my horse, going for swims - and with that getting a tan! - and going for runs and eating healthily.  Hopefully this all works out and I get back to Radelaide looking and feeling better as at the moment I just feel like a blob!  Gross!!  I also plan to steal my parents’ record collection while I am home and host my good friends who are playing a gig way up interstate while they are here!  All in all, looking like a very busy month coming up - with the completion of 3 different assignments while I am interstate also, just to fill in any time I am (hopefully) not excercising!

Hope you’re all well and have things to be excited about too!

k xx