It's About Time

It's been over a year since my last blog entry. I could say that I've been busy with other things, which I have, but that's no excuse, is it? Still, it's my excuse and I'm sticking with it! Haha! In any case, I'm making a conscious effort to be more consistent and prolific starting NOW!

Simon Le Bon's Save A Prayer pick!

Now, I will pick up where I left off. I can't begin to describe what an extraordinary experience the Great American Duranadventure was. There were lots of highs -- like catching Simon Le Bon's guitar pick! -- and also lows -- Nick Rhodes became very ill, so they had to cancel the last six shows of the tour, including the Chicago show I had tickets to -- but I still got to see three unforgettable shows, explore places I had never been to before, and most importantly, I got to spend time with my friends. As the band are working on their 14th studio album, I find myself dreaming of my next Duranadventure. Who knows where it will take me? One thing is for certain, Duran Duran remain my perpetual source of inspiration, and the incredible friendships I am so grateful to have built through them continue to grow. You can see all the photos from my adventures here: Memphis, Biloxi, New Orleans, New England and Chicago.

Almost immediately after returning from my travels, I started a new job as an Early Childhood Educator at Ecole Montessori International. The job took up a lot of my energy, and taught me a lot of valuable lessons. My contract ended at the end of June and I will not be returning next year. But... that's a whole other story.

Moz performing at Terminal 5

The autumn brought even more adventure! In October of last year, I had the opportunity to fly to New York for the weekend -- where I was fortunate enough to see Morrissey in concert once again -- and meet up with two of my dear Duranie friends. It had been years since I'd been to New York and although it was a whirlwind trip, it was an unforgettable one. The only bit I didn't like was when I had to bid my friends farewell. I had to get back to work, but they stayed on for John Talylor's In The Pleasure Groove book reading and signing.

Chatting with the lovely John Taylor

A short while after that trip, I found out that John would be doing a book reading and signing in Toronto. I managed to get some time off work and booked a last-minute flight and hotel. I got to meet three of my fellow-Canadian Duranie friends at the event, and I made some new friends, too. As luck would have it, my plane landed just a couple of hours before John's, so I greeted him with flowers at Pearson International Airport. I have a very dear friend to thank for that information! You know who you are...

Unfortunately, I was so nervous that I forgot to ask for a photo, even though I was holding my camera in my sweaty palm. At least I found the courage to speak to him this time, unlike at Incheon International Airport in Korea, a surreal experience that I never blogged about... but I should. In fact, I will! I also plan on blogging about the Great American Duranadventure in more detail. I realise it's been over a year, but it's still very fresh in my mind and this stuff has got to be documented! But I digress... John was extremely gracious, both at the airport and at the book signing. He even remembered where I was from and wished me a safe flight back to Montreal! What a sweetheart. Click here to see all my photos from this extraordinary experience.

Gangwa Island, South Korea, 2008

Gondolas, Venice, Italy, 1993

In other news, this September, I will be embarking upon an entirely different sort of adventure. I'm going back to school! After close to fifteen years in the teaching field, I have decided to pursue a lifelong passion and will be studying Professional Photography at Inter-Dec College. I have a lot to learn, but in the meantime, I have been trying to build a name for myself online. You can visit my website here: Beautiful Colours. And yes, the name I chose happens to be a song by Duran Duran. No big surprise there. I would be profoundly grateful if you'd take the time to check out my Facebook Page and click "like" if you are so inclined. I am both nervous and excited about starting school in a matter of weeks. The support I have received thus far from my friends as well as from fellow artists is overwhelming.

Please stay tuned. I promise not to wait a year before my next blog entry. ♥